Oxfam GB’s headquarters in Oxford have been forced to close after “core services” were damaged by a burst water pipe.
The pipe burst on 17 February and was discovered the next morning, by which time it had caused damage to the charity’s electrical and data systems.
As a result, some 800 Oxfam employees will have to work either at home or in nearby temporary office spaces until mid-March at the earliest, when the HQ is expected to reopen.
A spokesperson for the charity said the building is covered by insurance and that loss adjusters are already at work to assess the size of the claim required to cover the damage.
Danny Sriskandarajah, chief executive of Oxfam, said supporters trying to contact the charity by phone might experience delays.
He said: “Our priority has been to ensure that our vital life-saving and life-changing work around the world is not affected. Staff have been working tirelessly to implement our contingency plans and ensuring that our back-up systems are working.
“Some supporters contacting us by phone and online might have experienced some delays. We have been working hard to restore services and we apologise for any inconvenience.
“We continue to review the situation and update our contingency plans. Clearly, the safety and wellbeing of our staff is paramount, so we will reopen the building only when we are advised it is safe to do so.
“We are very grateful for the offers of support from other businesses and organisations in Oxford.”
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