The Isle of Man Government’s International Development Committee has announced funding for emergency aid projects in Zimbabwe and the Central African Republic.
Two separate awards of £50,000 have been provided to Oxfam GB to assist its international relief efforts in the wake of growing humanitarian crises.
The charity is working in the Central African Republic to support an estimated 1.3 million people who are in immediate need of food and shelter.
The region has a long history of conflict and instability. In December 2013, circumstances deteriorated significantly with an eruption of inter-community violence.
The United Nations has categorised the crisis as a Level 3, its most serious level of emergency, and the £50,000 provided by the International Development Committee will help those forced to flee their homes.
A further £50,000 has been awarded to Oxfam GB to support the humanitarian response to the devastation caused by flooding in Zimbabwe.
Exceptionally heavy seasonal rains have caused the Tokwe Mukorsi Dam in Masvingo Province to be inundated, flooding into the catchment basin where thousands of families live.
Currently there is no clean, safe water source, while poor sanitation facilities mean there is a high risk of disease.
In February 2014, a state of national disaster was declared and the Zimbabwean Government appealed for international help.
Phil Gawne MHK, Chairman of the International Development Committee, said:
‘Funding from the Isle of Man continues to make a genuine difference to people’s lives and also reinforces our reputation as an internationally responsible country. These latest awards represent a small but much-needed contribution to Oxfam GB’s response to the emergencies in Zimbabwe and Central Africa.’
