Oxfam Canada and War Child Canada and recognize World Refugee Day with the launch of Geared for Success
Toronto – On this World Refugee Day, War Child Canada and Oxfam Canada stand in support of the 110 million displaced people around the world – a devastating new record high. An estimated 43.3 million are children under the age of 18. “War and climate change are displacing unprecedented numbers of people from their homes.…
Read More‘Deep-rooted’ crisis in care systems in Canada need major paradigm shift: Oxfam report
Decades of underfunded care services, inadequate compensation for care workers, and an unequal distribution of care responsibilities have left communities across the country with little to lean on when it comes to care, according to a new report released today by Oxfam Canada. The report, How Much Do We Care? An Assessment of the Canadian…
Read MoreCanadian charities unite to respond to humanitarian crisis in East Africa
In response to the combined impact of conflict, climate and hunger in parts of east Africa, along with the ripple effects of the conflict in Sudan, Oxfam Canada, along with leading Canadian aid agencies are working together as the Humanitarian Coalition in raising funds to rush assistance to people in need. The Canadian government has…
Read MoreRich countries’ continued failure to honour their $100 billon climate finance promise threatens negotiations and undermines climate action
Flawed accounting systems are not giving the true picture of climate finance As global greenhouse emissions continue to rise, and climate change wreaks more havoc upon the people and places least responsible for the problem, rich polluting countries are now three years overdue on their promise to mobilize $100 billion a year in climate finance…
Read MoreG7 owes huge $13 trillion debt to Global South
Wealthy Group of Seven (G7) countries owe low and middle-income countries $13.3 trillion in unpaid aid and climate action funding, reveals new analysis from Oxfam ahead of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan. Despite failing to pay what they owe, G7 countries and their rich bankers demand that Global South countries pay $232 million daily…
Read MoreStruggling communities in South Sudan open their doors to refugees from war-torn Sudan
Urgent international support needed now to help communities buckling under the strain Thousands of South Sudanese communities are opening their own doors and offering their meagre resources to refugees fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan. Oxfam is calling for donor countries to step up to avoid a disaster. During a three-day operations review to South…
Read MoreOxfam responds in Bangladesh and Myanmar as Cyclone Mocha leaves a trail of destruction
Super cyclonic storm Mocha made landfall in Myanmar’s Rakhine state area, reaching a speed of 250 kmph and crossing low-lying areas, including Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, on Sunday. As per the initial reports, at least 8 people have been killed, and the powerful storm has caused extensive destruction to infrastructure in the western Myanmar…
Read MoreConflict in Sudan worsening humanitarian situation in neighbouring countries, Oxfam responding
6,000 new people arriving daily at the South Sudan borders, straining already stretched humanitarian needs Oxfam is supporting a humanitarian response for refugees arriving from Sudan into South Sudan’s Renk and Raban counties in Upper Nile State, and in Chad’s Sila province. Nearly 30,000 people have already crossed the border to South Sudan following fighting…
Read MoreOxfam Canada calling for ‘fair and equitable’ legislation on forced and child labour in Canadian supply chains
In response to the vote on May 3 against a private member’s bill (S-211) to fight forced labour and child labour in Canadian supply chains, Nirvana Mujtaba, Oxfam Canada’s Women’s Rights Policy and Advocacy Specialist said the following: “Bill S-211 won’t curb human rights abuses or incentivize action. We need robust mandatory human rights and…
Read MoreTop CEOs got a 9% real pay raise in 2022 while workers worldwide took a 3% pay cut
Workers on average worked six days “for free” last year because their wages lagged behind inflation — while real pay for top executives jumped nine per cent (16 per cent if not adjusted for inflation). Canadian workers’ total losses were almost $39 billion CAD and worked over seven days unpaid because wages did not keep…
Read MoreStatement Of Solidarity With Wet’suwet’en Nation Land Defenders
Oxfam Canada stands in solidarity with the First Nations peoples of the unceded, unsurrendered Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan territories, who are standing up for their rights and sovereignty in the face of the largest fracking project in Canadian history, the Coastal Gas Link pipeline. On the morning of March 29, 2023, RCMP forces raided a Gidimt’en…
Read MoreOne in five persons don’t have enough water in drought-stricken East Africa
Up to 90% of water boreholes in parts of Somalia, Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia have entirely dried up One in five people in drought-stricken East Africa – a total of 33.5 million people across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia – don’t have enough safe drinking water. Failed rain is predicted to persist for a sixth…
Read MoreAfter eight years of war, Yemen on the brink of economic collapse – Oxfam
As Yemen enters its ninth year of war, its people are facing a devastating humanitarian crisis with more than two million children acutely malnourished. Rounds of currency depreciation, an economy on the brink of collapse, and sharp increases in the cost of fuel and other key commodities, have left millions more Yemenis in danger of…
Read MoreTurkiye-Syria Earthquake: Pledges come at a make-or-break moment
In response to the EU’s donor conference for Turkiye and Syria earthquakes, Oxfam calls on the international community to leave no one behind in providing aid to the communities affected. Şengül Akçar, Oxfam KEDV Executive Director said: “The pledges come at a make-or-break moment. Torrential floods in recent days have swept away temporary accommodations and…
Read MoreOxfam raises fresh concerns for Türkiye earthquake survivors as torrential rains and flooding batter devastated region
Survivors of last month’s devastating earthquakes in southern Turkiye have been dealt a fresh blow as heavy rains and severe flooding hit the region, with further downpours forecast in coming hours. At least five people have been killed so far and at least five others are reported missing, with the provinces of Sanliurfa and Adiyaman…
Read MoreAlmost three-quarters of displaced Syrians surveyed in Aleppo say they are having to skip a meal every day since the earthquake
Three in every four people in Aleppo have had to reduce daily meals since the earthquake and near all of them say they have taken on extra debt or their children out of school in order to cope, says Oxfam. Oxfam surveyed 300 people displaced in Aleppo, and living in collective shelters, in the lead-up…
Read MoreOxfam and partners mounting a humanitarian response to help people affected by cyclone in Malawi and Mozambique
More than 80 people including women and children have been killed in Mozambique, Malawi and Madagascar, and millions more need urgently need clean water, shelter and food following Cyclone Freddy – the longest and strongest tropical storm on record in the Southern hemisphere – which has damaged thousands of homes, roads, and telecommunication infrastructures. Oxfam…
Read MoreFederal action still falling short on gender equality: Oxfam Feminist Scorecard
(Ottawa) – Three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the deteriorating global situation – climate change, spiking food and energy price inflation and worsening conflict – has set progress towards achieving gender equality back by more than a generation globally. While the federal government’s feminist response put forward several worthy initiatives this past year, gaps still…
Read MoreAid dwindling in spite of dire conditions one month after the earthquakes in Türkiye
One month after the earthquakes that struck Türkiye killing more than 45,000 people and destroyed hundreds of thousands of buildings and major infrastructure, aid and donations for survivors has sharply declined in spite of continuing urgent needs. Hundreds of thousands of families are residing in informal settlements to stay close to homes that have been…
Read MoreDismal conditions in shelters as hundreds of thousands of people in Syria and Türkiye lack water and basic sanitation
Hundreds of thousands of people, among those who lost their homes in the massive earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria ten days ago, are now crammed into temporary shelters with insufficient clean water or toilets. In some shelters in Aleppo, Syria, as many as 150 people are having to share a single toilet. Women and…
Read MoreEARTHQUAKE: Oxfam and partners aim to reach nearly 2 million affected people in Turkiye and Syria
Oxfam, together with our partners in Turkiye (Turkey) and Syria, is working to reach nearly two million people – 10 per cent of the population affected by the quake – with aid and support so that they can rebuild their lives. Meryem Aslan, Oxfam Spokeswoman in Turkiye said: “People are living in cars, mosques, in…
Read MoreEARTHQUAKE: Oxfam and partners mounting response in Turkey, and Syria amidst destruction of life and property
Oxfam teams in Turkey and Syria are assessing along with partner organisations the fastest, most appropriate humanitarian efforts to help affected people in the aftermath of Monday’s devastating earthquake – the biggest in Turkey since 1938. An Oxfam colleague in Turkey – an expert amateur mountaineer – travelled today into south-west Turkey, part of an…
Read MoreRichest 1% bag nearly twice as much wealth as the rest of the world put together over the past two years
The richest one per cent grabbed nearly two-thirds of all new wealth created since 2020, worth $42 trillion, almost twice as much money as the bottom 99 per cent of the world’s population, according to a new Oxfam report. “Survival of the Richest” is being released as political and business elites gather at the World…
Read MoreJoint Statement in solidarity with Indigenous families mourning the murder of four Indigenous women
As we observe the 16 Days of Activism on Gender-Based Violence and the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, the announcement of charges in the murder of four Indigenous women at the hands of an alleged serial killer linked to white supremacist ideology is a tragic indication that the urgent action…
Read MorePeople eating leaves to survive in South Sudan as aid fails to keep pace with spiralling hunger crisis – Oxfam
More than half the population of South Sudan – 6.6 million people – are severely hungry, including 2.2 million people at risk of starvation. Yet the humanitarian response remains woefully underfunded and without an urgent increase in aid now, 7.7 million people or two-thirds of the population will face severe food shortages next year, Oxfam…
Read MoreGlobal humanitarian needs highest on record – Oxfam Canada reaction
Today’s UN 2023 Global Humanitarian Overview report reveals that 339 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian aid – the highest caseload in history. One in every 23 people around the world is now in urgent need of humanitarian aid, the equivalent of nearly nine times the population of Canada. This news must be…
Read MoreOxfam supports partners and local government in responding to Cianjur Earthquake in Indonesia
Oxfam is supporting the Humanitarian Knowledge Hub (JMK) in responding to the earthquake which hit Cianjur and Sukabumi in Indonesia last week. The partners have started distributing basic sanitation kits to displaced people. The earthquake has killed at least 323 people, damaged more than 62,628 buildings in Cianjur and around 443 others in Sukabumi and…
Read MoreHas your favourite Canadian fashion brand been Naughty or Nice this year?
Major Canadian fashion brands – like lululemon, Joe Fresh, Aritzia, Herschel Supply Co and Roots – all need to pay living wages to the women who make our clothes. As Canadians hit the Black Friday sales and start their holiday shopping, Oxfam Canada has released its first ever Naughty or Nice list, which calls out…
Read MoreA billionaire emits a million times more greenhouse gases than the average person
Billionaire investments in polluting industries, such as fossil fuels and cement, double their weighting in the Standard and Poor group of 500 companies – Oxfam The investments of just 125 billionaires emit 393 million tonnes of CO2e each year – the equivalent of Ontario and Alberta combined – at an individual annual average that is…
Read More189 million people per year affected by extreme weather in developing countries as rich countries stall on paying climate impact costs
Lower income countries paying the highest price as emissions and fossil fuel profits rocket An average of 189 million people per year have been affected by extreme weather-related events in developing countries since 1991 – the year that a mechanism was first proposed to address the costs of climate impacts on low-income countries, according to…
Read MoreTrue value of climate finance is a third of what developed countries report: Oxfam
Reporting international climate finance remains flawed, and profoundly unfair Many rich countries are using dishonest and misleading accounting to inflate their climate finance contributions to developing countries – in 2020 by as much as 225 per cent, according to investigations by Oxfam. Oxfam estimates between just $21-24.5 billion as the “true value” of climate finance…
Read MoreCanada’s eight largest banks finance more than twice the total carbon footprint of the country: Oxfam report
If Canada’s eight major banks were a country, they would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter in the world. This is one of the revelations of an exclusive report on the carbon footprint of Canada’s major banks, released today by Oxfam. The report, produced in collaboration with Institut de Recherche en Economie Contemporaine (IREC), shows…
Read MoreHunger likely to claim a life every 36 seconds in drought-stricken East Africa over next three months: Oxfam
One person is likely to die of hunger every 36 seconds between now and the end of the year in drought-stricken East Africa as the worst hit areas hurtle towards famine, Oxfam warned today. The international agency warned that the situation in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya is deteriorating fast. In Somalia, it is the worst…
Read MoreRich countries’ aid to West Africa to cope with climate change is insufficient and dangerously worsening debt levels
Rich countries and multilateral donors have so far mobilized only 7 per cent of the estimated $198.88 billion that West African countries need by 2030 to cope with the climate crisis and pursue their own green development. According to a new Oxfam study today, Climate Finance in West Africa, 62 per cent of $11.7 billion…
Read MoreExtreme hunger has more than doubled in 10 of the world’s worst climate hotspots over past six years
Less than 18 days of fossil fuel companies’ profits would cover the entire UN humanitarian appeal for 2022 Ten of the world’s worst climate hotspots – those with the highest number of UN appeals driven by extreme weather events – have suffered a 123 per cent rise in acute hunger over just the past six…
Read MoreFlooding Crisis in Pakistan: Donations To The Humanitarian Coalition Will Be Matched By The Government Of Canada To Provide Emergency Assistance
The Humanitarian Coalition commends the commitment of the Canadian government to match the donations made to provide assitance to the 33 million people impacted by the flooding in Pakistan. The Government of Canada has announced that it will match donations to the Humanitarian Coalition and its member charities up to $3 million. “This announcement comes…
Read MorePakistan floods: Oxfam begins relief response and calls for coordinated international action
Oxfam is mounting a humanitarian response to the catastrophic flooding in Pakistan working with a network of local partner organizations. Relief efforts will focus on two of the hardest-hit provinces of Balochistan and Sindh in the south-west of the country. The response will target 25,000 families and households affected by the floods. Oxfam’s partners are…
Read MoreTwo years after blast, Beirut still far from recovery
Two years since one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history ripped through Beirut, the city and the people living in it are still struggling to recover from the impact of the devastating blast, even more now with a soaring cost of food as a result of economic decline. The World Bank said that Lebanon…
Read MoreYemen: Joint INGO statement on the UN-led truce
Ahead of the end of the current UN-led truce agreement on August 2, 2022, humanitarian organizations in Yemen urge all parties to the conflict to adhere to and extend the agreement to protect civilians across the country and allow them to rebuild and recover their lives. As organizations working in Yemen, we recognize and applaud…
Read MoreUnprecedented spike in food prices puts Yemenis at risk of extreme hunger
Yemen is facing unprecedented rises in the price of food putting millions more people in danger of catastrophic hunger, Oxfam warned today. Already exhausted by over seven years of conflict, Yemen has been hit hard by the worsening global food crises. The prices of wheat, flour, cooking oil, eggs and sugar have all increased by…
Read MoreTwo-weeks of food billionaires’ wealth enough to fully fund East Africa hunger crisis response
Food inflation in some East African countries outstrips global average leaving millions hungry Food inflation in East African countries where tens of millions of people are caught in an alarming hunger crisis has increased sharply, reaching a staggering 44 per cent in Ethiopia – nearly five times the global average. It is estimated that one…
Read MoreG7 failure to tackle hunger crisis will leave millions to starve
Responding to news of the $4.5 billion pledge made by the G7 leaders to tackle global hunger, Max Lawson, Head of Inequality Policy at Oxfam said: “Faced with the worst hunger crisis in a generation, the G7 have simply failed to take the action that is needed. Many millions will face terrible hunger and starvation as…
Read MoreG7 broken promises on vaccines contribute to 600,000 preventable deaths
Rich countries have already bought majority of next generation COVID-19 vaccines Less than half (49 per cent) of the 2.1 billion COVID vaccine donations promised to poorer countries by G7 countries have been delivered, according to new figures published today by Oxfam and the People’s Vaccine Alliance. On the eve of this year’s G7 Summit,…
Read MoreOxfam Canada reaction to US Supreme Court ruling on abortion
In reaction to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on abortion, Lauren Ravon, Executive Director, Oxfam Canada stated: “Today, the U.S. Supreme Court has delivered a devastating blow to women’s human rights, declaring through the reversal of Roe v. Wade that reproductive rights, including the right to access safe, legal abortion care, no longer exist in…
Read MoreG7 must pursue windfall taxes on excess corporate ‘pandemic profits’ and cancel poor country debts to fund fight against hunger
The G7 must pursue windfall taxes on excess corporate profits including from those making huge returns from surging food and energy prices. The revenues can be used to fund an end to global hunger and to tackle climate change, says Oxfam. The G7 meets this week in Germany with the world in deep crisis. Developing…
Read MoreWorst monsoon rains in over a century submerge most of northeast Bangladesh and devastate the lives of 4.3 million people
Monsoon rains – the worst in 122 years – have inundated major rivers in northeastern Bangladesh and submerged thousands of houses, impacting 4.3 million people. The worse is yet to come as flooding worsens and access to impacted areas is hampered. “Tens of thousands of people in 10 districts are now trapped as the flood-hit…
Read MoreOxfam Canada launches new program to advance women’s empowerment in Myanmar
Thanks to a contribution of $7.9 million from the Government of Canada and close to $400,000 from Oxfam Canada, more than 20,000 crisis-affected women and adolescent girls in Myanmar will be able to increase their access to resources and decision-making power through the Women Leading Durable Solutions (WLDS) project. The project will be implemented by…
Read MoreNearly 30,000 people have died every day from COVID-19 since WTO talks on vaccine intellectual property began
Failure of the UK and EU countries to agree to TRIPS waiver costs lives and undermines credibility and future of WTO 17.5 million people have died from COVID-19 in the 20 months since WTO talks about relaxing COVID-19 intellectual property (IP) rules began – the equivalent of nearly 30,000 people a day said campaigners from…
Read More800% increase in UN appeal needs for extreme weather-related emergencies over last 20 years – new Oxfam research
The amount of money needed for UN humanitarian appeals involving extreme weather events like floods or drought is now eight times higher than 20 years ago — and donors are failing to keep up, reveals a new Oxfam brief today. For every $2 needed for UN extreme weather-related appeals, donor countries are only providing $1. …
Read MorePandemic creates new billionaire every 30 hours — now a million people could fall into extreme poverty at same rate in 2022
As the cost of essential goods rises faster than it has in decades, billionaires in the food and energy sectors are increasing their fortunes by $1 billion dollars every two days For every new billionaire created during the pandemic — one every 30 hours — nearly a million people could be pushed into extreme poverty…
Read MoreOne person dying from hunger every 48 seconds in drought-ravaged East Africa as world fails warnings
One person is likely dying of hunger every 48 seconds in drought-ravaged Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, according to estimates by Oxfam and Save the Children in a report published today highlighting the world’s repeated failure to stave off preventable disasters. More than a decade since the delayed response to the 2011 famine that killed more…
Read MoreGovernments falling woefully short on goal to vaccinate 70 per cent in each country by September
Vaccine Access Still a Concern as President Biden Hosts Second COVID Summit World leaders have not done enough to achieve their goal of vaccinating 70 per cent of people in each country by September, campaigners with the People’s Vaccine Alliance warned ahead of the second virtual summit on COVID-19 hosted by US President Biden along…
Read MoreWill global donors rise to the occasion and prevent starvation and death for millions in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya?
As donors convene in Geneva, over 50 NGOs and NGO networks call for an urgent and substantial step-up in funding and leadership to respond to the humanitarian catastrophe facing millions in the Horn of Africa due to the severe drought, warning that further delays will cost lives. This drought is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic,…
Read MoreGovernment of Canada announces new funding to support education for displaced children and youth as Canada hosts Together for Learning Summit
(Ottawa) Thanks to a contribution of $13.8 million from the Government of Canada, more than 190,000 refugees and displaced children and youth in South Sudan and Uganda will be supported in getting an education through the Geared for Success project. The five-year project will be implemented by an innovative partnership between Oxfam Canada and War…
Read MoreIMF must abandon demands for austerity as cost-of-living crisis drives up hunger and poverty worldwide
87 per cent of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) COVID-19 loans are requiring developing countries that have been denied equal access to vaccines and are facing some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises to adopt tough, new austerity measures that will further exacerbate poverty and inequality. New analysis by Oxfam finds that 13 out of…
Read MoreWest Africa faces its worst food crisis in 10 years, with over 27 million people already suffering from hunger
An additional 11 million people could be pushed to hunger just over the next three months West Africa is hit by its worst food crisis in a decade, with 27 million people going hungry. This number could rise to 38 million this June – a new historic level and already an increase by more than…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to the IPCC’s Working Group III report on climate change mitigation
Responding to the publication today of the IPCC’s Working Group III report on climate change mitigation, Oxfam’s Climate Policy Lead Nafkote Dabi said: “This IPCC report pulls no punches. The bleak and brutal truth about global warming is this: barring action on a sweeping scale, humanity faces worsening hunger, disease, economic collapse, mass migration of…
Read MoreEscalating death, destitution and destruction as Yemeni civilians left to bear brunt of 7-year war – Oxfam
The human cost of the war in Yemen is rising sharply as the conflict enters its eighth year, with the number of civilian deaths increasing sharply, hunger on the rise and three quarters of the population in urgent need of humanitarian support, Oxfam warned today. The international agency said another year of war would bring…
Read MoreAs many as 28 million people across East Africa at risk of extreme hunger if rains fail again
Global food and commodity prices spiking in reaction to Ukraine crisis set to worsen hunger for 21 million people already today in severe food insecurity As many as 28 million people across East Africa face severe hunger if the March rains fail. With the unfolding crisis in Ukraine taking their attention, there is a real…
Read More“Before we feared dying of war, now we fear dying of hunger”: Ukraine crisis propelling hunger in Syria
Eleven years after the Syrian conflict began, six in 10 Syrians do not know where their next meal is coming from, according to Oxfam. It warned that reliance on imports from Russia means the current crisis in Europe could ripple into Syria, exacerbating food shortages and causing food prices to soar. In the last year,…
Read MoreOxfam Feminist Scorecard exposes key gaps in federal action on gender equality
The federal government’s progress in delivering on their feminist commitments during a prolonged pandemic has been bumpy but is making some headway. Historic investments in the care sector are helping advance women’s economic equality, but the government failed to deliver on fairer and more equitable taxation and has a mixed record on tackling gender-based violence,…
Read MoreCovid-19 death toll four times higher in lower-income countries than rich ones
3 million people died since the Omicron variant emerged, shattering perceptions that the pandemic is over The COVID-19 death toll has been four times higher in lower-income countries than in rich ones, according to a new report published today by Oxfam on behalf of the People’s Vaccine Alliance as the world marks two years since…
Read MoreProtection of civilians in Ukraine conflict
As a humanitarian organization, Oxfam is horrified by the loss of life being witnessed, and gravely concerned by the impacts of the conflict in Ukraine. We call for an immediate end to hostilities. The protection of life is of paramount importance. It is vital that civilians everywhere are safeguarded and we stand in solidarity with all…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to the IPCC’s Working Group II report on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability
Responding to the publication of the IPCC’s Working Group II report assessing climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, Oxfam Canada’s policy manager Ian Thomson said: “This catalogue of pain, loss and suffering must be a wake-up call to everyone. The poorest who have done the least to contribute to climate change are suffering the most…
Read MoreStatement about the situation in Ukraine
As a humanitarian organization, Oxfam is gravely concerned about the impacts of the conflict in Ukraine and calls for an immediate end to hostilities. The protection of life is of paramount importance. It is crucial that civilians are protected and we stand in solidarity with all those affected by the violence, wherever they may be.…
Read MoreYemen: Rise in airstrikes and landmines add to misery for civilians in Marib after year of increased conflict
One year after the battle for Yemen’s resource rich Marib governorate escalated, the humanitarian situation has worsened as shifting frontlines, airstrikes and landmines displace nearly 100,000 people, many of whom have already fled multiple times. Last month 43 airstrikes hit civilian targets, representing more than a fifth of all airstrikes in the Marib area since…
Read MoreOver 40 NGOs warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Somalia and urge donors to urgently fund the UN appeal
7.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, as 98 per cent of Somalia’s humanitarian appeal remains severely underfunded Oxfam, together with over 40 NGOs representing the Somali NGO Consortium urged donors to immediately fund the current UN humanitarian appeal for Somalia, in order to prevent a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. In an open…
Read More10 richest men double their fortunes in pandemic while incomes of 99 per cent of humanity fall
New billionaire minted every 26 hours, as inequality contributes to the death of one person every four seconds The world’s 10 richest men more than doubled their fortunes from $875 billion to $1.9 trillion CAD — at a rate of $18,700 per second or $1.63 billion CAD a day — during the first two years…
Read MorePhilippines hit by over half a billion dollars in damages from Typhoon Rai; farming and fishing hardest hit
Oxfam staff report people begging for food in towns worst hit The Philippines is struggling to recover from last month’s massive Typhoon Rai that caused losses worth 11.1 billion Php ($215m) to agricultural crops and farmland and another 17.5 billion Php ($330m) damages to homes, roads, electricity and water lines. More than 420,000 hectares of…
Read MoreRich countries have received more vaccines in run-up to Christmas than African countries have all year
The EU, UK and US have received more doses in the last six weeks than African countries have received all year. Global rollout at speed of UK’s booster programme could vaccinate the world by February. At current rates vaccine manufacturers will fail to deliver enough doses to fully vaccinate everyone in Africa by next Christmas.…
Read MoreOxfam, local officials call for urgent aid in typhoon-hit areas in Visayas
Oxfam Pilipinas on Monday echoed local officials in Eastern Visayas calling for immediate assistance for survivors of Super Typhoon Rai (local name: Odette). Super Typhoon Rai, which is the strongest tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year, has resulted in the deaths of 208 people as of December 20, according to the Philippine National…
Read MoreGroups provide pre-disaster financial aid to more than 2,600 families in Philippines before Typhoon Rai hit
Humanitarian groups distributed through digital cash transfer more than $4 million (PHP) to 2,650 families in the Philippines. Forty barangays in Salcedo, Dolores, Lawaan, Quinapondan and Balangiga towns in Eastern Samar received the cash transfer to assist households to prioritize their urgent needs three days before the projected impact of Typhoon Rai. Under the Building…
Read MoreParts of Somalia hit by the driest season in 40 years as climate-fuelled drought worsens
Nearly 90 per cent of the country faces severe water shortages leaving 3.5 million people in extreme hunger Nearly 90 per cent of Somalia is now in a severe drought, following three consecutive failed rain seasons. Some areas facing their driest season in 40 years. Nearly 3.5 million people are already acutely food insecure and…
Read MoreFailure to vaccinate the world created perfect breeding ground for Omicron, say campaigners
A year since first Pfizer vaccine given, Sub-Saharan Africa has only received enough doses to fully vaccinate 1 in 8 people Campaigners from the People’s Vaccine Alliance say the refusal of pharmaceutical companies to openly share their vaccine science and technology and the lack of action from rich countries to ensure access to vaccines globally…
Read MoreFamine action letter
Dear world leaders, It is over six months since the UN warned that famine risk is soaring globally. We – a group of 120 NGOs from around the world – are at a loss that since then the crisis has only worsened. There has been a 370 per cent rise in people experiencing catastrophic levels…
Read MoreHuman rights advocates eye legal action against Canadian, German, Norwegian and UK governments over global COVID vaccine inequality
Coordinated legal efforts call on “recalcitrant” governments to support proposed waiver of COVID-related intellectual property monopolies at the WTO Human rights lawyers have threatened legal action against the German, Norwegian, and Canadian governments today for obstructing global efforts to increase access to COVID-19 vaccines and other healthcare technologies. The move comes as state delegates from…
Read MoreAction against gender-based violence being pushed to the outlying margins of the global COVID-19 response
A new Oxfam report shows an undeniable increase in gender-based violence (GBV) during the COVID-19 pandemic around the world to which too many governments and donors are not doing enough to tackle. The report, The Ignored Pandemic: The Dual Crisis of Gender-Based Violence and COVID-19, showed the number of calls made by survivors to domestic…
Read MoreOxfam Canada launches new program to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights in Mozambique and Uganda
Thanks to a contribution of $19.6 million from the Government of Canada and close to $1 million from Oxfam Canada’s generous supporters, more than 370,000 marginalized and vulnerable young women and adolescent girls in Mozambique and Uganda will be supported to realize their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) through the Stand Up for…
Read MorePfizer, BioNTech and Moderna making $1,000 profit every second while world’s poorest countries remain largely unvaccinated
Demand grows for firms to share vaccine recipes and technology as billionaire pharma bosses convene for ‘Big Pharma Davos’ New figures from the Peoples Vaccine Alliance reveal that the companies behind two of the most successful COVID-19 vaccines – Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna – are making combined profits of $65,000 every minute. The figures based…
Read MoreOxfam Reaction To COP26 text
As the latest draft COP26 text is published, Tracy Carty, head of Oxfam’s COP26 delegation said: “Here in Glasgow, the world’s poorest countries are in danger of being lost from view, but the next few hours can and must change the course we are on. What’s on the table is still not good enough. “We…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to AstraZeneca’s plan to take profits from the COVID-19 vaccine
In response to the announcement that AstraZeneca is to move away from the non-profit model for COVID-19 vaccines, Anna Marriott, Oxfam’s Health Policy Manager and spokesperson for the People’s Vaccine Alliance, said: “AstraZeneca is breaking its repeated and celebrated public promises of a non-profit vaccine for all countries for the duration of this pandemic and…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to COP26 draft text
Responding to the draft COP26 decision text, Tracy Carty, head of Oxfam’s COP26 delegation said: “This draft COP decision text is too weak. It fails to respond to the climate emergency being faced by millions of people now, who are living with unprecedented extreme weather and being pushed further into poverty. “It fails to include…
Read MoreCampaigners petition UN to investigate racial and gender discriminations in global COVID-19 vaccine roll-out
US, UK, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland in violation of international human rights law in “prolonging the pandemic” ahead of vital World Trade Organization meeting GENEVA – An international coalition of human rights law groups, public health experts, and civil society organizations is taking legal action against the US, UK, Germany, Norway, and Switzerland, on the grounds…
Read MoreA year since conflict erupted, nearly 7 million people still suffering in Northern Ethiopia as humanitarian catastrophe outpaces aid
One year since conflict broke out in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, almost seven million people in Tigray and in neighboring Amhara and Afar are suffering from the toll of violence, human rights abuses, hunger, locusts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. With the conflict now spreading in Northern Ethiopia, many more vulnerable people are left without vital protection and resources. The need is growing…
Read MoreCarbon emissions of richest one per cent set to be 30 times the 1.5°C limit in 2030
Footprints of poorest 50 percent set to remain well below this limit The carbon footprints of the richest one per cent of people on Earth is set to be 30 times greater than the level compatible with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement in 2030, according to new research out today. It comes as…
Read MoreOxfam calls for urgent G20 action to tackle vaccine inequality, hunger, climate change, and promote a fair economic recovery
Ahead of the G20 Summit in Rome, Italy, Oxfam calls on G20 leaders to take urgent action to dramatically scale up manufacturing and access to COVID-19 vaccines around the world, promote a fair economic recovery, fight hunger, lower dangerous greenhouse gas emissions, and help the poorest countries adapt to the climate change already happening. Leaders…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to the UNFCCC’s updated NDC Synthesis Report
Responding to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) updated NDC Synthesis Report, Oxfam France’s Advocacy Manager Armelle Le Comte said: “This confirms we are still dangerously off track from limiting global warming to the vital 1.5°C limit. The climate clock is ticking ever closer to midnight and COP26 now needs to be a…
Read MoreRoadmap confirms rich nations will meet $100 billion climate finance target later than promised: Oxfam reaction
Today, rich nations published a Climate Finance Delivery Plan claiming that it will take until 2023 to meet their commitment to mobilize $100 billion each year to support poorer nations to confront the climate crisis. In response, Jan Kowalzig, Senior Climate Policy Adviser at Oxfam said: “This plan claims that rich nations will meet their…
Read MorePharmaceutical companies and rich nations delivering just one in seven doses promised for developing countries
Firms and rich nations continue to block moves to share vaccine technology and recipes Developing countries have been hit with an endless tide of inadequate gestures and broken promises from rich countries and pharmaceutical companies, who are failing to deliver billions of doses they promised while blocking the real solutions to vaccine inequality, according to…
Read MoreThird COVID-19 wave engulfs Yemen with 99 per cent of people unvaccinated
Yemenis are battling a third wave of COVID-19, which threatens 99 per cent of the population who are unvaccinated, Oxfam said today. Recorded cases of COVID-19 have tripled and the death rate has risen by more than fivefold (420 per cent) in the last month. Excluded from these figures are countless undiagnosed deaths of people…
Read MoreEmpty promises will not save the world from COVID, campaigners warn ahead of Biden global vaccine summit
Leaders already failing to meet previous commitments as only 1 in 8 of doses promised at G7 have been delivered On the eve of President Biden’s global COVID summit on the side-lines of the UN General Assembly, campaigners from the People’s Vaccine Alliance are calling for world leaders to go beyond empty promises of charity…
Read MorePoorer nations expected to face up to $75 billion shortfall in climate finance: Oxfam
Wealthy nations are expected to fall up to $75 billion short of fulfilling their long-standing pledge to jointly mobilize $100 billion a year from 2020 to 2025 to support the most vulnerable countries to adapt to the dangerous effects of climate change and reduce their emissions, according to estimates released by Oxfam today. This analysis…
Read MorePharmaceutical companies reaping immoral profits from COVID vaccines yet paying low tax rates
Moderna, BioNTech and Pfizer cashing in thanks to taxpayer investments, monopolies, and low taxes while leaving millions unprotected Moderna, BioNTech, and Pfizer are reaping astronomical and unconscionable profits due to their monopolies of mRNA COVID vaccines — upwards of 69 per cent profit margins in the case of Moderna and BioNTech — while Moderna and…
Read MoreCan you believe this is ‘What She Makes’
OTTAWA – The fashion industry is huge and glamourous – and yet it’s built on the backs of millions of women who live in poverty despite working countless hours making the clothes we wear. Top executives of Canadian fashion brands make on average over $18,000 a day, while the women making clothes in Asia earn…
Read MoreHaiti earthquake: Canadian charities join forces to raise funds for emergency assistance
In response to the devastating earthquake in western Haiti on August 14, leading Canadian aid agencies, including Oxfam – through the Humanitarian Coalition – are launching an appeal to raise funds and rush emergency assistance to people in need. With numbers expected to rise, the Haitian Civil Protection General Directorate (DGPC) so far reports at…
Read MoreOne-off emergency tax on billionaires’ pandemic windfalls could fund COVID-19 jabs for entire world
A one-off 99 per cent levy on billionaires’ wealth gains during the pandemic could pay for everyone on Earth to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide a $20,000 cash grant to all unemployed workers, according to new analysis released today by Oxfam, the Fight Inequality Alliance, the Institute for Policy Studies and the Patriotic Millionaires.…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report
Responding to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), Oxfam Climate Policy Lead Nafkote Dabi said: “Amid a world in parts burning, in parts drowning and in parts starving, the IPCC today tables the most compelling wake-up call yet for global industry to switch from…
Read MoreVaccine monopolies make cost of vaccinating the world against COVID at least 5 times more expensive than it could be
The cost of vaccinating the world against COVID-19 could be at least five times cheaper if pharmaceutical companies weren’t profiteering from their monopolies on COVID-19 vaccines, campaigners from the People’s Vaccine Alliance said today. New analysis by the Alliance shows that the firms Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna are charging governments as much as $41 billion above…
Read MoreSix-fold increase in people suffering famine-like conditions since pandemic began
11 people are likely dying every minute from hunger, now outpacing COVID-19 fatalities, warns Oxfam A new Oxfam report today says that as many as 11 people are likely dying of hunger and malnutrition each minute. This is more than the current global death rate of COVID-19, which is around seven people per minute. The…
Read MoreFederal COVID-19 Funding to Alberta’s Oil Patch “Not Well Spent”
EDMONTON and OTTAWA – A new report by the Parkland Institute and Oxfam Canada exposes how $1 billion in federal COVID-19 emergency funding transferred to the Alberta government is failing to achieve its intended social and environmental objectives. When funding to clean up orphaned and abandoned oil wells in Western Canada was announced in April 2020, the…
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