A man from Faringdon is at the forefront of a charity's campaign to help survivors of the devastating earthquake in Iran.

Allan Bell, 36, Oxfam's humanitarian co-ordinator, has flown out to Bam to take over the running of the charity's response to the earthquake that struck on Boxing Day, claiming the lives of more than 30,000 people.

With 85 per cent of the city's houses destroyed, 20,000 people have been made homeless, many now living in tents near where their homes used to stand.

One of the priorities Mr Bell is focusing on is helping ensure adequate water supplies and sanitation to prevent the spread of diseases such as typhoid and cholera.

On New Year's Eve, 7.5 tonnes of Oxfam water and sanitation equipment arrived in Bam. The £50,000 consignment included water tanks, tap stands, pumps, tool kits, and water purification chemicals.

Mr Bell, who is originally from Melbourne in Australia, spent more than four months in Gujarat, India, following the 2001 earthquake disaster there.

"The moment I heard the news about Bam, I knew it was going to be a terrible tragedy for Iran," he said.

"Entire families had been wiped out and the city had been virtually flattened.

"Earthquakes always hit the poorest the hardest because they can't afford the latest housing designs. In Bam the material of choice for building is mud, which is always susceptible to damage.

"In Gujarat, the earthquake happened at around 8.30am when people were up and about and on their way to work. But in Bam, the earthquake struck during the early hours of the morning, when people were still asleep.

"That's why there has been such a loss of life -- people weren't even awake."