Fed: Oxfam to fly water sanitation equipment to Middle East

00-00-0000
Fed: Oxfam to fly water sanitation equipment to Middle East

Australian Aid agency Oxfam Community Aid Abroad is due to fly emergency equipmentfrom London to provide clean water to the Iraqis.

An Oxfam spokesman says the plane -- provided by the United Nations -- will leave Londoncarrying 17 tonnes of water and sanitation equipment as well as three four-wheel drives.

The equipment, worth $350,000, will be flown into Kuwait before Oxfam engineers entersouthern Iraq at the weekend to assess the damage to the water and sewage system and thelevel of humanitarian need.

Oxfam executive director ANDREW HEWETT says such basics are in short supply insideIraq, especially within the public health network.

AAP RTV rmg/jtb/jas

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST OXFAM (CANBERRA)