Humanitarian Coalition Welcomes New Government of Canada Funding
(Ottawa) – The Humanitarian Coalition and its member agencies are pleased to announce that, collectively, they have secured more than $5 million in Government of Canada funding for their relief efforts in response to Typhoon Haiyan. Canadians from all across the country, including many communities of Filipino descent, also made generous donations to our joint…
Read MoreOxfam plans to reach 100,000 people in first phase of Philippines crisis
International agency Oxfam plans to provide vital assistance in the next few weeks to some 20,000 families affected by Typhoon Haiyan. The aid agency is working very closely with a multitude of partners to deliver water, basic sanitation, tents and tarpaulins for emergency shelter. Oxfam will also be supporting households to rebuild their farming and…
Read MoreOxfam racing against time to save lives in communities devastated by Typhoon Haiyan
Oxfam teams expert in water and sanitation have been deployed to the worst affected of the Philippines to provide immediate relief to 20,000 people in need. The aid organization is appealing for $16 million to eventually reach at least half a million people with clean water, hygiene kits and direct cash support. Ann Witteveen, Humanitarian…
Read MoreOxfam aid team witnesses scene of utter destruction in northern most tip of Cebu, Philippines
An Oxfam team assessing the typhoon damage in the northern-most tip of Cebu mainland, Philippines, said today that nearly all the houses and buildings were damaged, power lines are down and there is no electricity in the entire area. The team spoke of seeing children begging for help, holding up signs that read, “Help. We…
Read MoreOxfam dispatches aid experts to super typhoon Haiyan-hit parts of the Philippines
Oxfam has dispatched a team of experts on the ground to assess the water, public health and sanitation conditions in Bohol today and another batch of teams will go to Northern Cebu, Northern and Eastern Samar and Leyte, in the Eastern Visayas region in the Philippines, after super typhoon Haiyan (local name: Yolanda) hit the…
Read MoreThe Coca-Cola Company declares “zero tolerance” for land grabs in supply chain
The Coca-Cola Company today committed to take steps to stop land grabs from happening in its supply chain after more than 225,000 people signed petitions and took action as part of Oxfam’s campaign to urge food and beverage companies to respect community land rights. The company committed its bottlers to do the same. Coca-Cola also…
Read MoreBrazilian State Prosecutor to investigate land grab highlighted by Oxfam
Following the release of Oxfam’s report, Nothing sweet about it, describing the growing threat of land grabs in the sugar industry, Silvia Regina, the Brazilian State prosecutor overseeing the State of Pernambuco, announced last week that the Federal Public Ministry (MPF) will launch an investigation into delays in resolving one of the cases highlighted in…
Read MoreMoves to tackle Africa’s ‘resource curse’ reach turning point
Sweeping measures to improve transparency and governance are urgently needed to end a scandal that has seen Africa lose an average of $1 billion every week for the past 30 years in illicit financial flows, says Oxfam. Oxfam executive director Winnie Byanyima will also say today at a special public meeting of political, business and…
Read MoreOxfam dispatches aid experts, works with local partners in earthquake hit parts of the Philippines
Oxfam has dispatched a team of six experts on the ground to assess the water and sanitation conditions in Bohol, after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the Philippines on October 15. The earthquake has affected the Visayas and Mindanao islands of the Philippines, where the worst hit province is Bohol. According to the National Disaster…
Read MorePoor Communities Being Kicked off Land so Big Brands can Feed World’s Increasing Appetite for Sugar
The biggest names in the food and drink industry are not doing enough to stop land grabs and conflicts in their supply chains, says Oxfam in a new report today. The report Nothing sweet about it: How sugar fuels land grabs highlights examples of land grabs and disputes linked to companies that supply sugar for…
Read MoreUnited States Signs Historic Arms Trade Treaty – Canada Yet to Sign On
Ottawa – The Canadian members of the Control Arms Coalition today welcomed the United States decision to sign the Arms Trade Treaty, a global effort to reduce loss of life from the unregulated trade in weapons and ammunition. Oxfam Canada, Project Ploughshares, Amnesty International and Oxfam Québec and Make Poverty History Canada also expressed frustration…
Read MoreTop donor countries failing ordinary Syrians affected by the conflict with Syria appeals falling short by US$2.7bn
(Beirut) Research carried out by international aid agency Oxfam reveals that many donor countries are failing to provide their share of the urgently-needed funding for the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. While the need for a political solution to the crisis is as urgent as ever, Oxfam says donors including France, Qatar and Russia,…
Read MoreOxfam loads first batch of aid bound for Syria
International agency Oxfam has loaded 20 tonnes worth of water tanks and sanitation equipment bound for Syria from its Emergency warehouse in England. The equipment will be used to provide clean water to 300,000 people in Syria. The equipment will be used in various locations where the water systems have been damaged in the conflict…
Read MoreOxfam Verdict on the G20 summit
ON TAX G20 leaders have committed to a global deal to share tax information automatically, and set a deadline for G20 countries to implement this by the end of 2015. They did not announce when developing countries will be part of this automatic exchange of information deal – which means that it is not clear…
Read MoreBreakthrough at St. Petersburg summit needed to give hope of a better future for millions of Syrians
World leaders attending the G20 summit must seize this opportunity and make real progress on helping find a political solution to the Syria crisis, according to international aid agency Oxfam. The organisation says world leaders must not squander this key moment for peace – and is calling for the Syria Crisis to be high on…
Read MoreWomen Bear Brunt of Refugee Crisis says new report
A new study published today by the international aid agency, Oxfam and the Beirut-based ABAAD-Resource Centre for Gender Equality finds that women are bearing the brunt of the refugee crisis with the majority of the women interviewed saying they had resorted to desperate measures to survive. Many women are regularly going hungry so their children…
Read MoreTwo million Syrians are now Refugees
Oxfam’s Syria Response Campaign Manager, Claire Seaward, based in Jordan, said, “We are appalled that this landmark has been reached today. “Enough is enough. A generation of Syrians is paying too high a price in this conflict. They have been seriously let down by the international community, which has failed to prioritise a political solution…
Read MoreActor Gael García Bernal meets Syrian refugees in Jordan
Star calls on international community to find an urgent solution to the crisis Oxfam Global Ambassador and Hollywood actor Gael García Bernal has taken time out from filming on location in Jordan to meet Syrian refugees. The star, who was born in Mexico and has starred in six Academy Award-nominated films including Babel and The…
Read MoreSyrian refugee crisis stretching aid effort to limits
Many Syrian refugees living outside camps across countries in the region are losing out on the help they desperately need, according to five international aid agencies today. CARE International, Oxfam, Danish Refugee Council, Handicap International and World Vision are increasingly concerned that with more than 1.4 million – 80 per cent of all Syrian refugees…
Read MoreVoices-Voix: Letter to Prime Minister Harper
The Right Honourable Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2 By fax: 613-941-6900 July 24, 2013 Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to you on behalf of Voices-Voix, a coalition of more than 200 national and local civil society organizations across the…
Read MoreOxfam Canada to G20 Finance Ministers: Include Developing Countries in Tax Avoidance Plan
Statement by Robert Fox “Action to fix outdated and unfair international tax rules is welcome and long overdue,” says Oxfam Canada’s Robert Fox. “But these rules affect everyone, and it is often the poorest countries that suffer the greatest losses due to tax avoidance. G-20 Finance Ministers, including Minister Jim Flaherty, must ensure that negotiations to…
Read MoreOxfam Welcomes new Minister of International Development: Calls for continued work on Women and Girls’ Rights
Oxfam Canada, today, welcomes Christian Paradis as the new Minister of International Development. “We look forward to working with Minister Paradis”, says Robert Fox, Executive Director of Oxfam Canada. “With 1.3 billion people living in extreme poverty and with women comprising 70 per cent of the world’s poor, it is critical for women to realize…
Read MoreOxfam reaction: EU vote not enough to stop biofuel policy fuelling hunger
The stance taken by Members of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee on the reform of EU legislation on biofuels is disappointing, Oxfam said today. The Parliament’s plenary vote is scheduled for September. In reaction, Marc Olivier Herman, Oxfam’s EU biofuels expert, said: “Today’s vote falls short of what is needed to put the brakes on…
Read MoreNumber of Syrian refugees set to pass two million within weeks, warn aid agencies
Long-term vision and committed funding urgently needed from international community as flow of Syrian refugees continues The number of Syrian refugees will pass the two million mark within the next nine weeks*, a coalition of 18 aid agencies working in six countries directly affected by the Syrian crisis, warned today. Marking the UN’s World Refugee…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to the G8 Communique
In response to the G8 Communique, Oxfam’s Executive Director Jim Clarken said:“The G8 has asked all the right questions but has been thin on answers. The writing is on the wall for tax dodgers and land grabbers and G8 leaders must up their game to tackle the scandal of global poverty and hunger which has…
Read MoreSyria: Presidents Obama and Putin must deliver on Syria at the G8
Sending more arms will only increase the bloodshed, says Oxfam US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin must throw all their political weight into making the Geneva peace conference on Syria a success when they meet at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland. Failure to find a peaceful solution and sending more arms…
Read MoreG8 implicated in land grabs risk: Action needed at next week’s summit
Since 2000, companies in G8 countries have acquired land in developing countries more than the size of the whole of Ireland. This is enough to feed 96 million people every year – almost the total population of the UK and Canada – international agency Oxfam reveals today. The pace and scale of secretive land investments…
Read MoreOxfam welcomes Canada’s disclosure requirements on mining, oil and gas companies
Oxfam welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement today that Canada will require mandatory disclosure of payments to governments by mining, oil and gas companies. Such transparency is essential if citizens in developing countries are to hold their governments accountable for investing that revenue in fighting poverty. “We are very pleased that Prime Minister Harper has committed…
Read MoreOxfam urges Canada to sign the historic Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible
Oxfam urges the Canadian government to sign the Arms Trade Treaty without delay to help save lives. Canada voted for the treaty in April but was not among the more than 60 countries which signed the Treaty when the signing process was launched at the United Nations on Monday. Lina Holguin of Oxfam said: …
Read MoreA historical step forward for millions living in fear of armed violence
Governments sign first ever global Arms Trade Treaty History will be made today at the United Nations as more than a third of its member states sign a treaty designed to protect millions living in fear of armed violence and at risk of rape, assault, displacement and death every single day. Many of the world’s…
Read MoreGlobal leaders shirk responsibility to tackle global inequality crisis
Oxfam response to UN post-2015 development goals report Oxfam today welcomed the ambition, coherence and focus of a UN High Level Panel report on post-2015 global development goals. The focus is on ending extreme poverty and tackling climate change and sustainability. Oxfam's Stephen Hale said: “This report is an important contribution to the post 2015…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to EU failure to extend arms embargo on Syria beyond August
European Union Foreign Ministers failed last night to extend the EU arms embargo on Syria as it stands. They decided, however, not to lift it before August 1st and set a number of conditions. In reaction, Oxfam’s Head of Arms Control, Anna Macdonald, said: “Oxfam is disappointed that the EU will not extend its arms…
Read MoreEU foreign ministers must bite the bullet and extend the arms embargo on Syria, says Oxfam
Transfer of weapons to Syria likely to spell further disaster for civilians caught in the crossfire, and fuel deadly arms race European Union Foreign Ministers meeting on Monday, May 27, in Brussels should extend the existing arms embargo on Syria or risk making the situation for civilians in the country even worse, according to international…
Read MoreRisky jobs and domestic violence – new report reveals ‘hidden’ social costs of today’s high food prices
A new era of high and volatile food prices is causing life-changing shifts in society, according to Oxfam and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in a joint report published today. The report, Squeezed, highlights how the failure of wages to keep pace with five years of food price rises is putting a strain on…
Read MoreSyria crisis: Oxfam warns of health risks as summer approaches
Funding urgently needed to provide assistance to over 1.4m Syrian Refugees With temperatures set to soar up to 40˚C in the coming weeks, international agency Oxfam has warned that the warmer weather will increase health-related risks for Syrian refugees. The aid agency says the most vulnerable, such as the elderly, women and young children, are…
Read MoreOxfam Welcomes Loblaw-Joe Fresh signing Bangladesh accord, urges others to join
Oxfam Canada welcomes the decision by Loblaw Companies, owner of the Joe Fresh brand, and 30 other garment manufacturers and retailers to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh to help protect workers from further disasters. At the same time, Oxfam urges other companies from Canada, the U.S. and around the world…
Read MoreThe Humanitarian Coalition Launches Joint Appeal for Syrian Refugees
Today, the Humanitarian Coalition and its member agencies are launching a national joint appeal to raise funds to assist the 6.8 million Syrian civilians affected by the ongoing conflict in their country. Almost five million civilians have been forced to leave their home and many have had to move repeatedly from one location to another…
Read MoreNew coalition formed to address low wages in the tea industry
A new coalition of tea companies, non-governmental organisations and certification organisations said today that systemic problems are locking-in low wages for tea workers. The coalition is committed to working with other key stakeholders, including tea producers, governments, retailers and trade unions, to find a solution. A new report, Understanding Wage Issues in the Tea…
Read MoreOxfam calls for improved humanitarian access to Syria as needs escalate
Refugee numbers in neighbouring countries steadily climb The world risks failing the people of Syria as the scale of suffering increases and the humanitarian fallout from the crisis worsen by the day, aid agency Oxfam is warning. With nearly 7 million people in need of humanitarian help inside Syria, the organization is calling on the…
Read MoreOxfam reaction to the Savar building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Oxfam country director in Bangladesh, Gareth Price-Jones said: “The Savar tragedy is a reminder of the hidden cost of cheap clothes. Controversy surrounding the garment industry is well-documented and in Bangladesh there have been some improvements in recent years. In 2010, the government raised the monthly minimum wage from 1662 takas (less than $22) to…
Read MoreMondelēz International agrees to address women’s inequality in chocolate production
The biggest chocolate maker in the world, Mondelēz International, has agreed to take steps to address inequality facing women in their cocoa supply chains following pressure from consumers as part of the international aid agency Oxfam’s Behind the Brands campaign. Today’s announcement by Mondelēz International comes on top of commitments last month by Mars and…
Read MoreColdplay and Oxfam Launch Crowdsourced Video to Demand an End to Landgrabs
The injustice of land grabs is highlighted in a pioneering new crowdsourced film featuring thousands of Coldplay fans, Oxfam activists and others, including rock band Wolf Gang and actor Dominic Cooper, star of Mamma Mia and Captain America. The campaign video was launched today by Coldplay and Oxfam. The film shows people from Argentina and…
Read MoreIn the wake of 2012 food crisis, Oxfam calls for radical shift in efforts to tackle hunger in the Sahel
The aid community needs to fundamentally change the way it deals with food crises in the Sahel region and help communities to better prepare for recurring emergencies, Oxfam says in a new report. The report, Learning the Lessons, says the 2012 humanitarian response to the food crisis in the Sahel was bigger and better than…
Read MoreSyrian refugee crisis appeal
Some 1.3 million refugees have fled violence in Syria into neighbouring countries since the onset of conflict in March 2011 and four million have been displaced inside Syria itself. Oxfam and other agencies are working tirelessly to provide services to the constant influx of new arrivals. United Nations and relief agencies are experiencing a funding…
Read MoreOxfam calls on Canada to sign and ratify the landmark Arms Trade Treaty
Following an overwhelming vote at the United Nations, Oxfam called on the Canadian government Tuesday to quickly sign and ratify the Arms Trade Treaty in Parliament. The landmark vote today at the United Nations for the first-ever global arms trade treaty sends a clear signal to gunrunners and human rights abusers that their time is…
Read MoreLandmark generic medicines victory
Oxfam hails ruling for putting human rights before excessive profits. The Indian Supreme Court's ruling against a patent protection petition filed by multinational pharmaceutical company Novartis is a huge victory for public health, says Oxfam. The court has “put public health before commercial profits” by dismissing the Novartis application to patent the anti-cancer medicine Glivec,…
Read MoreArms Trade Treaty within sight though Iran, Syria and North Korea block consensus
Call on Canada to vote for treaty at General Assembly and sign on without delay Campaigners expressed their ‘immense frustration’ with the consensus process after Syria, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea blocked agreement Friday of the Arms Trade Treaty. Despite a courageous last minute attempt by Mexico,…
Read MoreOxfam food company campaign delivers win for women cocoa farmers
After more than 60,000 people signed petitions and took action to urge chocolate companies to do the right thing for women cocoa farmers, Mars and Nestlé have today made commitments to begin to tackle the inequality, hunger and poverty faced by women in their cocoa supply chains. Mondelez International, which controls 15% of the global…
Read MoreFinal text of Arms Trade Treaty needs radical changes
If the Arms Trade Treaty is to save lives, the draft text must be radically changed, Oxfam and other campaigners said Monday. The text going into the final week of negotiations falls short of what the majority of member states demanded, and looks like a deal cooked up largely by major exporters, the Control Arms…
Read MoreCIDA, Foreign Affairs merger and budget cuts jeopardize poverty reduction goal of aid
Canada's contribution to reducing poverty in developing countries will be undermined by the proposed merger of the Canadian International Development Agency and Foreign Affairs department, Oxfam Canada said Thursday. Reacting to the federal budget announcement, Oxfam said the merger raises concern that the allocation of aid will be driven by Canada's self-interest in foreign policy,…
Read MoreSyrian Refugee Crisis
In just six months, the number of Syrian refugees registered or awaiting registration with the United Nations refugee agency has increased from 120,000 to one million. Jordan and Lebanon have had the greatest influx of refugees, and Oxfam is working in both countries to support people who have had to leave their homes in search…
Read MoreOxfam Canada Aid to Mozambique
Oxfam Canada is contributing $45,000 in emergency donations for relief in the region of Mozambique most severely damaged by recent floods. Thanks to members of the United Steelworkers in Canada for their generous $20,000 donation. The support will go to Oxfam programs designed to help farmers plant crops and to minimize the risk of cholera…
Read MoreA last push for an effective global arms trade treaty
Next week the world’s diplomats convene in New York to hammer out the final details on a global treaty to keep weapons and ammunition out of the hands of criminals, abusive regimes, and others who would misuse them. It is painfully obvious why the Arms Trade Treaty is needed. The steady supply of weapons from…
Read MoreUrgent call for tighter rules on arms trade in final treaty
Oxfam report cites loopholes which must be closed to save lives Oxfam Canada urges the Canadian government to ensure the global Arms Trade Treaty is a robust agreement that covers ammunition and closes loopholes to save innocent lives. A new Oxfam report details loopholes that must be closed in final negotiations. “Canada has achieved its…
Read MoreTime for an action plan to end violence against women
by Michèle Taïna Audette and Robert Fox Many women around the world live in daily fear of violence. In South Africa, every six hours a woman is killed by her partner. In Guatemala, two women are murdered on average daily. In Canada, thousands of women suffer serious physical assaults by their current or former partners…
Read MoreMars, Mondelez, Nestlé are leaving women farmers behind
On International Women’s Day Oxfam urges chocolate companies to address gender inequality in their supply chains. An investigation into four countries where Mars, Mondelez and Nestlé purchase cocoa has shown that many women farmers face discrimination, unequal pay and hunger, leaving the companies’ social policies exposed as weak and needing work, says international agency Oxfam.…
Read MoreKey UN women’s conference must act to end violence against women
Delegates from over 190 governments meeting at the UN-led Commission on the Status of Women this week in New York have the chance to take a critical step against the global scourge of violence against women, said international aid agency Oxfam. The agency said the two-week conference must go beyond discussing agreements made some 20…
Read MoreSyria crisis spiraling out of control: flood of refugees overwhelming aid effort
Aid money pledged must be quickly released to address urgent needs, says Oxfam Syria’s humanitarian crisis is spinning out of control, leaving relief agencies overstretched and struggling to cope with a massive surge in refugee numbers and with promised funds still yet to arrive on the ground, warns international aid agency Oxfam. Some 5,000 refugees…
Read MoreYes, the G8 still matters
Yes, the G8 still mattersThis year the G8 can begin the end of world hunger by Ben PhillipsOxfam Campaigns Director In the nineteenth century, many families fled to Canada from the Irish Famine, and many of those who couldn't make it ended up in mass graves like one in Ardess, Fermanagh, whose stone tribute reads…
Read MoreTen biggest food and beverage companies failing millions of people who grow their ingredients
The social and environmental policies of the world’s ten biggest food and beverage giants are not fit for modern purpose and need a major shake-up, says international agency Oxfam. The “Big 10” food and beverage companies – that together make $1 billion-a-day – are failing millions of people in developing countries who supply land,…
Read MoreLand investors targeting poorly governed countries to avoid red tape, warns Oxfam
Investors are targeting the world's weakest-governed countries to buy land, according to new analysis published on Oxfam's international day of action against land grabs Thursday. Oxfam's GROW campaign is calling on the World Bank to lead the fight against land grabs. The analysis reveals that over three quarters of the 56 countries where land deals were…
Read MoreOxfam Expresses Support for Idle No More
Oxfam Canada stands in solidarity with Idle No More, and with all First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples working peacefully to implement treaty and other indigenous rights. Oxfam welcomes the transformative leadership exercised by women and youth within the Idle No More movement. Canadian treaties were negotiated to establish the foundation for a lasting, peaceful…
Read MoreSituation for Malian refugees set to worsen as fighting escalates
The aid effort to help over 147,000 Malian refugees could be overwhelmed as conflict escalates, unless there is a significant shift in the way aid operations are carried out, international agency Oxfam warned today. With aid agencies already struggling to meet all refugees' basic needs, Oxfam says it is extremely concerned about the conditions faced…
Read MoreOxfam calls for civilian protection and humanitarian access as Mali conflict escalates
International aid agency Oxfam is extremely concerned that the recent intensification of fighting in Mali, which includes the intervention of French military, could worsen restrictions on humanitarian access and lead to a significant increase the humanitarian needs of populations across the country and in neighbouring states. Oxfam calls on all military forces in the country,…
Read MoreWinnie Byanyima appointed to lead Oxfam International
Winifred (Winnie) Byanyima, a grass-roots activist, human rights advocate, senior international public servant, and world recognized expert on women's rights, has been appointed Executive Director of Oxfam International – a role that provides strategic direction and coordination for the worldwide confederation of Oxfam affiliates. Ms Byanyima has held roles that reinforced the governance of the…
Read MoreFragile progress in Haiti three years on, but more needs to be done
Three years after the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January 2010, hundreds of thousands of people are still living under tents and tarpaulins and the country and its people continue to be very vulnerable, international agency Oxfam warned today. “Thanks to the determination of the Haitian people and their government, and the generosity and…
Read MoreCampaigning for Positive Changes for Indian Women in 2013
Campaigning for Positive Changes for Indian Women in 2013 Oxfam India strongly condemns the brutal sexual assault and subsequent death of a young woman in Delhi and calls for an immediate systemic response to the increasing trend of violence against women in the country. It also calls for broader reforms around women’s empowerment through concrete…
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