Oxfam published a report, Power, Profits and the Pandemic, outlining how Covid-19 has encouraged corporations around the globe to put profits before workers’ safety, push costs and risks down the supply chain and use their political influence to shape policy responses. “The economic crisis we are suffering because of the pandemic has been fuelled by a rigged economic … Read more
Oxfam published a new briefing, The Hunger Virus, which reveals how 121 million more people could be pushed to the brink of starvation this year as a result of the social and economic fallout from the pandemic including through mass unemployment, disruption to food production and supplies, and declining aid. “Governments can save lives now by … Read more
Seventy-one per cent of women surveyed in Canada reported feeling more anxious, depressed, isolated, overworked, or ill because of having to shoulder even more unpaid care work as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new poll released by Oxfam Canada. “COVID-19 has blown open the debate about the value of care work in … Read more
Recent funding gaps and other challenges in Yemen will put an additional estimated 5.5 million people in the war-torn country at risk of losing access to life-saving aid, such as food, cash and clean water this year, according to 24 international humanitarian non-governmental organizations, ahead of the Virtual Yemen Pledging Conference. With Covid-19 spreading rapidly … Read more
There has been an unprecedented decline in the flow of remittances to Yemen – a vital source of money for millions – just as cases of COVID-19 surge and international aid dries up in a country already devastated by more than five years of war. Oxfam is calling on the international community to ensure funding … Read more
Oxfam is calling on more international donors to support governments in East and Central Africa in providing immediate assistance, including increased cash grants, to help the poorest and most vulnerable people survive the multiple crises including flooding, the impact of coronavirus, and a forthcoming wave of locusts due to hatch in June during harvest time. “Cash grants and … Read more
Cyclone Amphan, the strongest ever cyclone recorded over the Bay of Bengal, is expected to hit north-east India and Bangladesh on May 20, threatening millions of people in vulnerable communities already affected by COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdown. Millions of people are being evacuated in India and 12,000 shelters have been prepared in Bangladesh. Camps in Cox’s Bazar … Read more
Almost one million Rohingya people in the world’s largest refugee camp are facing the added threat of a cyclone as the first cases of Covid-19 are confirmed, Oxfam warned. “Our worst fears have been confirmed as the virus hits the overcrowded camps where many people are suffering from pre-existing health conditions,” said Dipankar Datta, Oxfam Bangladesh Country Director. Oxfam … Read more
“Providing a vaccine to 3.7 billion people could cost less than what the 10 biggest pharmaceutical companies make in four months,” said Jose Maria Vera, Oxfam International Interim Executive Director. “We need safe, patent-free vaccines, treatments and tests that can be mass produced worldwide, and a clear and fair plan for how they will be distributed.” … Read more
There has been a catastrophic failure by the international community to forge a global ceasefire in order for countries in conflict – and the world at large – to stop the coronavirus and save millions of lives. In its new report “Conflict in the time of Coronavirus”, Oxfam showed that acts of aggression and fighting by many … Read more
