Press releases

The new Greek asylum system is designed to deport people rather than offer them safety and protection, warned the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) and Oxfam today.

In reaction to the Security Council passing its Coronavirus Ceasefire Resolution, Oxfam’s Head of Humanitarian Campaigns and Advocacy, Fionna Smyth, said: “The UN Security Council’s unanimous vote to support the UN Secretary Generals call for a global ceasefire and to help fight COVID-19 is welcome —and is long overdue."

This serious—and likely irreversible— plan to acquire occupied territory by force is a violation of the most basic principles of international law. 

The pledges made by donor governments are simply not enough to address the Syrian crisis, said Oxfam in reaction to the outcome of the Brussels IV conference on Syria and the region.

Syrians who have already endured almost a decade of war and displacement are now facing unprecedented levels of hunger leaving millions of people acutely vulnerable to Covid-19, international agencies warned today ahead of a key annual conference on the crisis.

People seeking safety are trapped at borders across Eastern Africa due to COVID-19 measures.

Forty-three percent of women surveyed across five countries reported feeling more anxious, depressed, isolated, overworked, or ill because they are having to shoulder even more unpaid care work as a result of the coronavirus crisis, said Oxfam today. 

“It’s deeply concerning that the number of forcibly displaced people has increased for the tenth year in a row to yet another record level. In addition to the violence, persecution, and hardship that these people are fleeing, many are now also facing the threat of the global coronavirus pandemic in overcrowded camps without enough clean water or health facilities", said Fionna Smyth, Oxfam’s Head of Humanitarian Campaigns, in response to the launch of the UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report today.

In reaction to the reprehensible attack that killed 13 civilians, including children, in the north of Yemen yesterday, Oxfam and seven other international agencies working in Yemen strongly condemned the attack.

In reaction to the postponement of the Sahel donor conference, which was due to take place on 18 June, Oxfam together with Action Against Hunger, CARE International, Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), and Save the Children, warned of a "hunger pandemic" in the Sahel on top of multiple crises, particularly as a result of COVID-19, conflict and the onset of the lean season.  24 million people (included children) are already in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

"The IFC can’t simply wash its hands of responsibility for upholding its own policies. There must be reparations for the damages caused," said Christian Donaldson, Oxfam International’s Senior Advisor on International Financial Institutions, in response to he publication today of an independent investigation into a hydroelectric dam project in Guatemala that found the International Financial Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector arm, was negligent in preventing harm to indigenous communities.

Oxfam has continued its journey in changing its culture and improving its safeguarding of staff and the people with whom we work. In its latest report (Oct 2019-Mar 2020), Oxfam notes that the coronavirus crisis risks diverting people’s attention away from these important issues, so it has re-doubled efforts to keep its improvement plan on track while adapting its entire operations to respond as safely as possible to the pandemic.

Reaction to the launch of a new initiative to help developing countries access a coronavirus vaccine at the Global Vaccine Summit today.

40 million people in Southern Africa are at risk of increased hunger and poverty due to the double threat of the coronavirus and consecutive climatic shocks, warned Oxfam today. 

Comment ahead of the Vaccine Alliance pledging conference tomorrow (4 June) that is expected to raise at least US$ 7.4 billion to support the roll out of vaccination programs across the developing world, and establish a new fund to help developing countries buy and distribute a coronavirus vaccine.

Reacting to the outcome of the pledging conference for Yemen, Jose Maria Vera, Oxfam International’s Executive Director, said: "Donors’ pledges to Yemen are failing to keep up with the growing need in the country". 

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, Oxfam and 23 international humanitarian NGOs said today, ahead of the Virtual Yemen Pledging Conference.

Oxfam is calling on the international community to ensure funding both for Yemen’s coronavirus response and to address the country’s huge humanitarian needs ahead of a pledging conference taking place virtually on Tuesday 2 June.

“The pharmaceutical industry’s attempt to rubbish the World Health Organisation’s initiative suggests that they care more for profits than people’s health," said Anna Marriott, Health Policy Manager for Oxfam, in response to the World Health Organisation’s call for governments to back a voluntary scheme to share trial data and patents relating to vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus.

“The postponement should not delay urgently needed action on climate change which is already increasing poverty and suffering around the world", said Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB Chief Executive, in response to the announcement that the UN Climate Summit is being pushed back to November 2021 ―a year after it was originally scheduled.