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The first World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul successfully brought together a dynamic mix of people who made progress on improving the humanitarian system - but ultimately it was world leaders who dodged their responsibility to protect civilians from the ongoing suffering of wars and natural disasters.

 The government of Haiti announced today that it will suspend Oxfam Great Britain’s operations in the country for two months while it investigates how Oxfam GB handled the case of some staff having used sex workers during the agency’s humanitarian response in 2011.

In reaction to today’s announcement at the G7 in Biarritz of a new partnership on the Sahel region led by France and Germany, Oxfam’s spokesperson, Robin Guittard, made the following statement:

The Oxfam Board of Supervisors today appointed Jose Maria (Chema) Vera as interim Executive Director of Oxfam International.

In response to the World Bank Group today issuing a statement announcing the discontinuation of its Doing Business report, Nadia Daar, Head of Oxfam International’s Washington DC Office, said: “It's a welcome move and about time the World Bank scrapped its Doing Business report, a global competitiveness index that encouraged governments to adopt destructive policies that worsen inequality, like slashing labor regulations and corporate taxes."

Ahead of the meeting of European foreign affairs ministers to discuss the unfolding situation in Palestine and Israel, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, said: “The mere prospect of suspending aid is not only alarming but is unacceptable.

Responding to news that the EU has discarded at least 215 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, Piotr Kolczyński, EU Health Policy Advisor at the People’s Vaccine Alliance and Oxfam, said: “This is further proof that the EU wasted millions of its COVID-19 vaccines, hoarded early in the pandemic, as it locked poorer countries out of access.  

“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.

“As the COP27 enters the final crucial days, it is a shame that rich countries – especially the US – continue to reject calls from the G77 Group, representing 134 developing countries, for a loss and damage fund to be established here at COP27."

As the UN climate talks enter their final week and the world’s Development Ministers gather to discuss the human cost of climate change, Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director of Oxfam International said: “The negotiations are stuck - rich countries won’t budge on climate cash or emissions targets and the big players don’t want to talk about the kind of deal that will come out the end of the week.  We desperately need world leaders to get a grip on these issues now. “All countries will need to give a little if we are going to get a deal in time. The big question is…