G7 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…
Read MoreCanada commits to bold and unprecedented global investments to support a caring economy and advance women’s rights
OTTAWA – Today Prime Minister Trudeau took bold action in support of a global feminist economic recovery by announcing $100 million in new international assistance funding dedicated to paid and unpaid care work at the Generation Equality Forum, the largest multi-sector gathering on women’s rights in the world. This is the first targeted global investment…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to WTO agreement on text-based process on waiving IP rule for COVID-19 vaccines
World Trade Organization members (who met today for a council on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) have just agreed that they will engage in a text-based process on waiving Intellectual Property rules on COVID vaccines, test and treatments. This means a deal, which would see a temporarily suspension of Intellectual Property, is increasingly likely. However…
Read MoreCanada’s economy could shrink by 6.9 per cent per year by 2050 without more ambitious climate action – Oxfam
Human and economic impact on low-income nations will be much worse Canada’s economy could shrink by 6.9 per cent annually by 2050 without more ambitious climate action, according to Oxfam’s analysis of research by the Swiss Re Institute. Across G7 nations, the impacts of climate change could cause economies to contract by an average of…
Read MoreMore than a million COVID-19 deaths in 4 months since G7 leaders failed to break vaccine monopolies
At current vaccination rate low income countries would be waiting 57 years for everyone to be fully vaccinated More than a million people have died from COVID-19 since G7 leaders last met back in February, when they made vague pledges to increase the global vaccine supply, but crucially failed to collectively back the waiver of…
Read MoreAfter the bombing, Gaza struggles to restart power, water, hospitals, markets and fishing for its 2.1 million people
400,000 people now without regular water supply 400,000 people in Gaza do not have access to regular water supply after 11 days of bombardment devastated electricity and water services and severely impacted the three main desalination plants in Gaza city, Oxfam warned today. Oxfam Country Director in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, Shane Stevenson said:…
Read MoreRight to live without a blockade: Oxfam calls for lifting US sanctions against Cuba
78 per cent of women and girls living in Cuba were born under the pressure exerted by the US blockade on the island for nearly six decades. According to a new Oxfam report, these sanctions impact the daily lives of all Cubans, but especially women. The blockade affects families and their livelihoods, and limits progress…
Read MoreStatement on ceasefire in OPTI
Shane Stevenson, Oxfam Country Director for the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel said: “Finally, for the first of 12 consecutive nights, two million Palestinians in Gaza, including hundreds of thousands of traumatized children, can rest rather than lie awake in fear as bombs fly over their homes. And civilians across Israel will be spared the threat…
Read MoreCOVID-19 vaccines create 9 new billionaires with combined wealth greater than cost of vaccinating world’s poorest countries
At least nine people have become new billionaires since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to the excessive profits pharmaceutical corporations with monopolies on COVID-19 vaccines are making, The People’s Vaccine Alliance revealed today ahead of a G20 leaders Global Health Summit. Key members of the G20, who meet tomorrow, including the UK and…
Read MoreNearly half a million people out of reach in Gaza: Oxfam
Oxfam said today that it cannot reach around 450,000 or more people in Gaza because of fighting and aerial bombardment. Oxfam staff are trying to resume their humanitarian and livelihood programs with its network of partners but the destruction and indiscriminate threat to life make any emergency aid, at the moment, impossible to mount. The…
Read MoreOxfam statement on the escalation of hostilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel
Civilians are once again paying the price for the failures of political leaders to negotiate a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis. Instead, we are witnessing yet another cycle of death and destruction that brings us no closer to addressing the root causes of the crisis and drives further human rights violations, poverty…
Read MoreCanada still stalling on support of WTO TRIPS Waiver on COVID-19 Vaccines
In response to today’s announcement that the Canadian government is ready to discuss proposals on a waiver for intellectual property (IP) protection for COVID-19 vaccines under the WTO Agreement on TRIPS, Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns said the following: Canada’s statement released today by Minister Ng confirming their readiness to discuss…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to US support of WTO TRIPS waiver on COVID-19 vaccines
In response to today’s announcement that the US Trade Representative is supporting waiving intellectual property rights on COVID-19 vaccines, Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns said the following: Canada could have taken international leadership to fight vaccine inequality by supporting the TRIPS waiver but instead has chosen to sit on the sidelines…
Read MoreAn average of 7 in 10 across G7 countries think their governments should force big pharma to share vaccine know-how
G7 governments still refusing to waive intellectual property on Covid-19 vaccines, despite widespread public support People’s Vaccine Alliance calls for G7 leaders to support a vaccine patent waiver at today’s foreign and development ministers meeting in London. A supermajority of people in G7 countries believe that governments should ensure pharmaceutical companies share the formulas and…
Read MoreOxfam responds to deadly COVID-19 wave in India
Oxfam India has deployed teams to five of the worst-hit states in India where a second wave of coronavirus is sweeping the country. The international organization is urgently appealing for $2 million to fund its emergency response to the crisis. Teams have already started providing face masks, hand sanitizer and other protective equipment in parts…
Read MoreCOVID-19 cost women globally over $800 billion in lost income in one year
Women’s lost income in 2020 totaled the combined wealth of 98 countries The COVID-19 crisis cost women around the world at least $800 billion in lost income in 2020, equivalent to more than the combined GDP of 98 countries, Oxfam said today. Globally, women lost more than 64 million jobs last year — a five…
Read MoreCanada steps up its climate commitments, but total ambition falls short of what’s needed
Today at the Earth Day Summit, Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada’s commitment to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change by 40 to 45 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. This marks a significant step up from Canada’s previous commitment of 30 per cent, but more ambitious reductions are required to deliver a…
Read MorePharmaceutical giants shell out billions to shareholders as world confronts vaccine apartheid
Total pay-outs enough to vaccinate 1.3 billion people, the same as the population of Africa Ahead of shareholder meetings for the giant pharmaceutical corporations, the People’s Vaccine Alliance calculates that Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca have paid out $26 billion in dividends and stock buybacks to their shareholders in the past 12 months. This…
Read MoreBudget 2021 delivers historic feminist investments domestically, but falls short on global response
Budget 2021 presents the government’s plan to tackle COVID-19 and was highly anticipated, considering it is the first federal budget in over two years. It is also the first budget presented by Canada’s first female finance minister, who prioritized engagement with feminist leaders and women’s rights organizations in the budget process through consultations and the…
Read MoreTwo-thirds of epidemiologists warn mutations could render current COVID vaccines ineffective in a year or less
New survey from People’s Vaccine Alliance shows urgency of vaccinating all countries Epidemiologists, from some of the world’s leading academic institutions, delivered a stark warning today of the risk the world is taking by failing to ensure all countries have sufficient vaccines to protect people from COVID-19. In a survey of 77 epidemiologists from 28…
Read MoreMassive fire in Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps leaves 45,000 people displaced
A massive fire that swept through the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on Monday has left 10,000 families — roughly 45,000 people — displaced and in urgent need of food, water, and sanitation services, Oxfam warned today. The fire was yet another devastating blow to the Rohingya people who fled shocking violence and persecution…
Read MoreYemen at tipping point as COVID-19 second wave hits amid renewed fighting and famine fears – Oxfam
Evidence is mounting that a second wave of COVID-19 is already underway in Yemen, Oxfam warned today, with a 22-fold increase in recorded cases in recent weeks. It comes at a time when it is feared renewed fighting will force hundreds of thousands of people to flee to safety. Oxfam said that a second spike…
Read MoreOxfam scorecard shows federal government provided critical services during pandemic but marginalized populations fell through cracks
(Ottawa) – In a year that continues to be buried in challenges due to the pandemic, the federal government’s feminist response was quick and included an influx of resources but it also exposed some serious gaps when it comes to the most marginalized populations, according to a new report released by Oxfam Canada today. Following…
Read MoreGarment workers suffer while fashion brands’ profits return
200 rights organizations demand brands fix their broken industry by putting the money on the table to ensure workers can feed their families and respecting labour rights A coalition of more than 200 organizations today announced sweeping demands of apparel brands and retailers for cash relief for suffering garment workers and reform of the industry.…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to Canada’s inaction to TRIPS waiver on intellectual property for COVID-19 vaccines at WTO meeting
In response to the March 10 position by Canada at the WTO meeting on the TRIPS waiver on intellectual property and technology on COVID-19 vaccines, Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns said the following: “Canada had an opportunity today to stand with over 100 countries calling for a waiver on intellectual property…
Read MoreRich nations vaccinating one person every second while majority of the poorest nations are yet to give a single dose
Canada, US, UK and EU blocking proposals at WTO to help poorer countries get vaccines more quickly One year on from the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the People’s Vaccine Alliance is warning developing countries are facing critical shortages of oxygen and medical supplies to cope with COVID-19 cases, and yet the majority have been…
Read MoreClimate national action plans “appalling and irresponsible” – Oxfam
In reaction to the UNFCCC NDC Synthesis report launched today, Oxfam’s Global Climate Policy Lead, Nafkote Dabi, said: “Today’s report findings are appalling. The combined climate plans submitted account to a dismal 1 per cent emissions reduction, far below the 45 per cent reduction needed to limit global warming below 1.5 degrees, and avoid disastrous impacts on…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to G7 and Canadian government’s additional contributions to COVAX program for COVID-19 vaccines
In response to the G7 and Canadian government’s announcements to pledge more money to the COVAX international vaccine-sharing program, Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns said the following: Canada was one of the G7 countries to make welcome steps to increase the supply of vaccines to poor countries. This leadership plays and…
Read MoreNearly 40 per cent of Yemen families forced into debt to pay for essentials – Oxfam
Nearly two out of every five families in Yemen buy food and medicines using debt, according to Oxfam research published today. Yemeni families are trapped in a cycle of informal debt, living precariously and reliant on good will of shopkeepers as they lurch from one month to the next. Many told Oxfam they can’t borrow…
Read MoreMonopolies causing “artificial rationing” in COVID-19 crisis as 3 biggest global vaccine giants sit on sidelines
The supply of safe and effective vaccines for all is being artificially rationed because of the protection of exclusive rights and monopolies of pharmaceutical corporations, the People’s Vaccine Alliance said today. The alliance warned that the three biggest vaccine companies in the world are largely sitting on the sidelines – they currently plan to produce…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to Canada taking COVID-19 vaccines from COVAX program
In response to the Canadian government’s announcement to draw on the supply of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX program, Diana Sarosi, Oxfam Canada’s Director of Policy and Campaigns said the following: “Canada should not be taking the COVAX vaccine from poor nations to alleviate political pressures at home. Receiving one or two million doses isn’t…
Read MoreClimate-fuelled Cyclone Eloise compounded by COVID-19 leaves over 260,000 in urgent humanitarian need: Oxfam
Cyclone Eloise, which recently hit the Sofala province in central Mozambique, has left over 260,000 people in desperate need of humanitarian aid, said Oxfam. Around 142,00 hectares of land and crops and over 16,000 houses have been washed away or destroyed, forcing people to seek shelter in schools, mosques and churches with little or no…
Read MoreMega-rich recoup COVID-losses in record-time yet billions will live in poverty for at least a decade
The 1,000 richest people on the planet recouped their COVID-19 losses within just nine months, but it could take more than a decade for the world’s poorest to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic, reveals a new Oxfam report today. The Inequality Virus is being published on the opening day of the World…
Read More13.5 million people face starvation if US designation of Houthis blocks aid and food delivery
13.5 million people in Yemen will be pushed towards starvation by the US designation of Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, as a terrorist organization. The designation comes into effect today and will seriously affect vital food imports to the country and humanitarian assistance, Oxfam warned. Muhsin Siddiquey, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen, said:…
Read MoreOxfam warns of COVID-19 risks in camps following Indonesian earthquake
Oxfam warned today of the risk of an outbreak of coronavirus in the over-crowded camps where people are sheltering following Friday’s earthquake in Sulawesi, Indonesia. At least 56 people are reported dead, more than 826 injured and more than 15,000 fled from their homes following 6.2 magnitude earthquake which damaged and destroyed hundreds of homes…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to US Secretary of State Pompeo’s decision to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist
In response to US Secretary of State Pompeo’s decision to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Oxfam America’s Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul said: “Secretary Pompeo’s decision to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization is a counter-productive and dangerous policy that will put innocent lives at risk.…
Read MoreOver half of Canadian women’s sector organizations forced to reduce or cancel vital services, new survey reveals
According to a new survey conducted by YWCA Canada, Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW), Canadian Women’s Foundation, G(irls)20 and Oxfam Canada, women’s rights organizations in Canada are facing increasingly insurmountable challenges that threaten their very existence. These organizations provide a vital lifeline to communities, and especially women, providing essential services and…
Read More2.7 billion people have had no ‘social protection’ to cope with COVID-19 economic crisis
New Oxfam research shows that over a third of the world’s population has had no public money to cope with the effects of the pandemic. A new report, Shelter from the Storm, done in partnership with Development Pathways, reviewed government schemes used to inject additional money to help people, such as disability, unemployment, child, and…
Read MoreClimate-fuelled La Niña in East Africa will drive millions into hunger: Oxfam
Over 50 million people are in need of immediate food assistance in the Horn East and Central Africa, with numbers expected to rise significantly as the region braces for harsh, climate fuelled La Niña conditions, said Oxfam today. The warning comes as world leaders prepare to meet for a virtual Climate Ambition Summit. Starting in mid-December, South Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya,…
Read MoreCanada front of the line for COVID-19 doses while 9 out of 10 people in poor countries are set to miss out on vaccine next year
Rich countries have pre-purchased enough doses to vaccinate their entire populations nearly 3 times over Nearly 70 poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in 10 people against COVID-19 next year unless urgent action is taken by governments and the pharmaceutical industry to make sure enough doses are produced, a group of campaigning…
Read MoreHurricane Iota lands a new blow onto Central America, Oxfam ready to respond
Millions of people in Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, already hit by damage from last month’s monster hurricane, Eta, are now facing an even bigger crisis from Iota, a category five hurricane that made landfall overnight on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. COVID-19 infections could rise exponentially as a result of these consecutive hurricanes and overcrowding…
Read MoreG20 arms exports to Saudi Arabia worth three times the aid given to Yemen since 2015 – Oxfam
Other members of the G20 have exported more than US$17bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia since it became involved in the conflict in Yemen in 2015 but have given only a third of that amount in aid to people caught in the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis, Oxfam said today. The G20 heads of state…
Read MoreImproving safeguarding and culture at Oxfam
This report covers Oxfam’s work from April 2020 to September 2020 towards its Improving Safeguarding and Culture Plan. The Plan continues to strengthen our safeguarding policies and procedures, our transformation of working cultures, and in aligning this across Oxfam’s international confederation. The headlines are as follows: Safeguarding In June 2020, Oxfam rolled out its new…
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