In response to reports that the first shipment of grain left Ukraine today, Eric Munoz, Oxfam America Food and Agriculture expert said:  
 
“Oxfam welcomes this news but warns that lifting the grains blockade alone will not solve the global hunger crisis.

Responding to the Berlin Declaration ‘vision for equitable access in pandemics’, proposed today by the pharmaceutical industry, Anna Marriott, Oxfam Health Policy Manager & Policy Co-Lead for the People’s Vaccine Alliance, said:

“This declaration is yet another shameless blame-shifting exercise from an industry that has chosen to prioritise obscene profits over human life throughout the pandemic.

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 a result.’

Ahead of European interior ministers meeting in Brussels today to discuss progress on EU migration and asylum policy, Oxfam denounces plans to make EU countries commit to a “voluntary, simple and predictable solidarity mechanism”.

Failure of the UK and EU countries to agree to TRIPS waiver costs lives and undermines the 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 Oxfam and the People’s Vaccine Alliance today ahead of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial.

Today, EU leaders met in Brussels to discuss the implications of the Ukraine war on food security. In response, Hanna Saarinen, Oxfam EU food expert said:  “EU leaders must learn from this moment. Only by taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture, can they avoid copy-pasting the same policies which led to the food price crisis of 2007-2008, and which have led to the one the world faces today.  

Today, the European Parliament voted through a non-binding report on the European Commission’s proposal to implement the deal on a global minimum tax at the EU level. EU Finance Ministers are expected to vote on a final agreement next Tuesday, 24 May. 

World leaders have not done enough to achieve their goal of vaccinating 70% 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 with Belize, Germany, Indonesia, and Senegal. The World Health Organization’s target of reaching 70% by mid-year is even further out of reach.

The Greek government is operating “a two-tier refugee response” - one for Ukrainians and one for all other refugees according to a new briefing by the Greek Council for Refugees, Oxfam and Save the Children. 

Today, the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD DAC) published its preliminary figures on the amount of development aid provided in 2021.