The conflict in Tigray compounded by climate-fueled locust infestations and coronavirus has left millions of people in desperate need of humanitarian aid yet access to those affected continues to be restricted, warned Oxfam today. 

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.

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. This designation will not help to resolve the conflict or provide justice for the violations and abuses committed during the war; it will only compound the crisis for millions of Yemenis fighting for their survival.

Cyclone Yasa landfall in Fiji yesterday, carrying destructive winds of up to 345km/h, heavy rain and storm swells, has flattened homes and left major devastation to roads, and vegetation. More than 600,000 people in the South Pacific island nation are now affected, thousands of which are already in evacuation centers as the tropical storm disrupted access to essential utilities including water supply and sanitation facilities, as well as food.

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” reviewed government programs used to inject additional money to help people and found none of them were adequate to meet everyone’s needs.

Responding to the Climate Ambition Summit proceedings, Tim Gore, Head of Climate Policy at Oxfam said:  “The Climate Ambition Summit lacked real ambition. World leaders must step up in the next 12 critical months to pull the world back from the brink of catastrophic climate change.” 

The news that the Sanofi/GSK vaccine will not be ready until the end of 2021 is a bitter blow for poorer nations. Sanofi-GSK was set to provide nearly one third of COVAX doses – the global vaccine purchasing facility upon which many of the poorest countries depend. 

Today’s proclamation by United States President Donald Trump asserting the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara undermines ongoing UN led peace processes and denies the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people.

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.   

Commenting at the close of the EU council meeting where leaders agreed on a new EU 2030 climate target and discussed the EU’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Evelien van Roemburg, head of Oxfam’s EU advocacy office said: "The new, more ambitious, EU 2030 target still falls short of what is needed and what is fair. The EU must take urgent practical steps to deliver above and beyond this target."

Oxfam reports every six months against its Safeguarding and Culture Improvement Plan. The latest report covering the period April to Sept 2020 is published today.

The United Nations Environment Programme's 20202 report shows that the over-consumption of a wealthy minority is fuelling the climate crisis, yet it is poor communities and young people who are paying the price.

Nearly 70 poor countries will only be able to vaccinate one in ten people against COVID-19 next year unless urgent action is taken by governments and the pharmaceutical industry to make sure enough doses are produced.

EU emissions reductions since 1990 resulted from a fall in the emissions of lower- and middle-income Europeans, while the emissions of the richest 10% of Europeans grew, Oxfam reveals in new analysis today.  

In response to the UN recently launched Global Humanitarian Overview, estimating some 235 million people across the globe will be in need of life-saving support in 2021, Oxfam and 6 aid agencies said it is vital that they have unhindered access to those most in need and humanitarian appeals are fully funded. 

In response to the onslaught of super Typhoon Goni, which hit the Philippines earlier this month and left hundreds of thousands without a home, Oxfam together with international and local partners is supporting 49,000 people in the hardest-hit areas of the Bicol region with lifesaving aid.

With its action plan on inclusion and integration, the Commission has opened up an important opportunity for Europe to promoting inclusive and cohesive societies, where everyone has a stake, said Oxfam today. It’s now up to EU governments to set this plan into action, for the benefit of us all.

New Oxfam International Executive Director Gabriela Bucher’s first public announcement today launches the organization’s new 10-year strategy to fight inequality to end poverty and injustice around the world.

Good news on the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine trial. All pharmaceutical companies should work together for a people’s vaccine by urgently transferring their technology and know-how, in order for everyone in the world to have access to a safe and effective vaccine.

Renewed fighting in Western Sahara between the Frente Polisario and Morocco after a 29-year ceasefire, threatens regional stability and renews fears for the security and future of Sahrawi refugees – most of whom have been displaced since 1975.