Oxfam: Tsunami aid not going where needed most
Concerns have been raised over where money donated to the tsunami appeal is being directed.
A new report from Oxfam, Targeting Poor People, has revealed that landowners and businesses are being given priority over the tsunami aid at the expense of impoverished, marginalised communities.
In India, the dalits, or outcasts, have received little help, and the wealthier classes in Sri Lanka and Aceh in Indonesia have received far greater support than the poor and needy.
The aid agency has called for the funding to be spread more evenly across those who need it, in the wake of the Boxing Day tsunami.
Barbara Stocking, from Oxfam, said: “The tsunami has hit poor people hardest and has left them with the biggest problems.
“However the generous response of the public has put us in a strong position to address these problems.
“We must use this as an opportunity to help people work their way out of poverty and to ensure they are better placed to deal with natural disasters if and when they strike again.”
Oxfam has allocated £137 million over the next five years, for groups which have thus far been relatively ignored.
In total, the world’s governments and private donors have promised £6.6 billion of aid for victims of the disaster, while the UK’s donations total £610 million.
