Haiti earthquake: Distributing water

Oxfam is distributing clean water to thousands of people affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

In any emergency, lives are put at risk by inadequate water supplies and poor sanitation. Oxfam is busy distributing water to thousands of Haitians affected by the devastating earthquake that struck the island on 12 January.

Photo: Caroline Gluck

Haiti earthquake

Latest on the situation and Oxfam's response in Haiti

Haiti Earthquake Appeal

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We've been providing water to several locations where people have sought shelter, including at Delmas 48 (pictured), a temporary campsite set up on a former golf course in Port-au-Prince.

Photo: Oxfam

Our work has included installing water bladders (pictured), special flexible tanks that can hold up to 10,000 litres of water.

Photo: Oxfam

Here, people line up to collect water from the Oxfam distribution point.

Photo: Oxfam

Water trucks fill the bladders with clean water which is then pumped out to tapstands for people to fill their containers from.

Photo: Caroline Gluck

Seven-year-old Givenson Silver (pictured), collects water with the help of an Oxfam staff member.

"I’m very happy because its great to be able to have something safe to drink. Its very difficult to get water. One person in my family is sick with diarrhoea…we have all been drinking whatever we can find."

Photo: Caroline Gluck

Mones Jermain fills her container with clean water.

"I’m very happy to get this. I used to drink other water I found, but it wasn’t any good and I’ve been worried about getting sick. I’ve drunk unsafe water before because there was no other choice; I couldn’t find good water.

“What are our main needs? Water, food, everything is a problem. Each day gets worse."

Photo: Caroline Gluck

Alexon Marie-Lourdes carries away a bucket of clean water from the Oxfam tapstand.

"I'm very happy. We have had no safe water to drink and we’ve been very thirsty. We had some bottled water but that's finished.

"If we could find water, get some money, find shelter…these are the things we need now. But water is the most important. Now we have some clean water and we can drink when we’re thirsty. We are safe."