Do some fishermen still lack boats, while fishing boats were given to people who were not fishermen?
In the rush to alleviate the suffering caused by the tsunami, some well-intentioned groups that lacked previous experience delivered aid in ways that were not always the most appropriate. Oxfam always works with local community organizations to determine the best mechanism for ensuring that the aid delivered is appropriate and reaches the neediest. In the case of fishing boats, Oxfam worked with local fishing co-operatives to determine the most appropriate beneficiaries, and delivered the boats through the co-operatives. After initial interventions it became clear that many agencies were focusing on fishing communities. As a result, Oxfam has concentrated on other livelihoods, such as poor farmers, salt-pan workers or women engaged in cottage industries, who were in danger of being missed by the relief effort. Why does Oxfam use four-wheel drive vehicles? Oxfam is assisting many isolated communities which can only be accessed by four-wheel drive vehicles. These vehicles not only carry
