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Oxfam's response in West Africa

We want to say a massive thank you on behalf of all the people you've helped in West Africa. You can be incredibly proud of what you've achieved. 

Thanks to your support Oxfam has reached over 1.1 million people in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.

Our response in all countries is now in recovery phase, aiming to support communities as they continue to recover from the food crisis, and to help ensure their ability to better deal with future shocks. 

West Africa: One giant thank you

Well rehabilitation

Many communities lack a source of clean, safe water. Oxfam teams rehabilitated and built water points across the Sahel region, to ensure that people had access to safe water for themselves and their livestock.

This work was particularly vital to these communities because their animals are of great value to them.

[By rehabilitating wells] the quality and quantity of water is improved.


Chekaraou Yaou, Oxfam Public Health team leader

Video: Well rehabilitation in Chad

Video: Well rehabilitation in Chad

Cash-for-work

30-year-old Hamra Housman took part in a cash-for-work scheme organised by Oxfam in the village of Labado in Chad's Guera province.

The point of this work [digging irrigation channels] is that when it rains water will stay in the field. It will allow us to cultivate our field. We never know, this year the season was bad, next year might be better. In this field, I'd like to sow mill and gombo.

People from Oxfam came to our rescue. Oxfam people came to give us a job... we hope. What's also good is that if we find food, we eat, we smile, we're satisfied. We're satisfied, we chat, we smile, if there's nothing, then there's no smile.


Animal vaccinations

Taha Abdeldjalil is an Oxfam vet in Chad.

I vaccinate 1,000 animals a day. This is a great relief to the local community because their animals don't die and they can sell them. I'm very happy and proud of what I do here because, here in the Guéra region, a goat is worth a sack of millet so we have to try to save it.

I can see that the programme that we're doing here does have a direct impact on the food security of these people. The money that they would have had to use to buy medicine for their animals can be used to feed their children.


Blog: With food crisis on the horizon Oxfam supports farmers and herders

Video: Taha vaccinates 1,000 goats per day

Video: Taha vaccinates 1,000 goats per day

Market gardens

Adjitti's main source of income comes from the Oxfam garden project which will thrive until April. After that, the water level will be too low to water the lettuces, onions, gombo and carrots she grows.

In theory, the garden work is followed by the rainy season which is ideal for growing cereals. But with the weather becoming increasingly unpredictable, the rains may never come.

This work helps us find some food. It helps us. Garden work has helped us.


Video: Market gardens in Chad

Video: Market gardens in Chad

Food distributions

Oxfam distributed food to 61,326 people a month in the Guéra region of Chad. 25-year-old Khadidja Idriss was one of the beneficiaries of Oxfam's food distributions.

What we're eating now is very different to what we had before the distribution. Now we're eating a lot better. The food is a lot more nutritious and with bigger portions. We have more energy. The food is much tastier. We feel stronger and we therefore have more energy to do things.

Video: Counting every last drop and grain

Water and sanitation

We provided safe water to improve general health and reduce the potential for a serious cholera outbreak.

Our response has included developing cholera contingency plans and the distribution of hygiene kits. Our hygiene kits containing items such as bars of soap, towels, cloth that can be cut into sanitary towels for women, plastic kettles for washing, and buckets with lids.

More information

West Africa crisis overview

Where we're working

Donate to Oxfam's West Africa response