More than 52 million people in 18 countries across southern, eastern and central Africa are facing up to crisis levels of hunger as a result of weather extremes, compounded by poverty and conflict.

Gender inequality is both the cause and the consequence of violence against women and girls, said Oxfam today, as the agency launches a new global campaign called “Enough: Together We Can End Violence Against Women and Girls” to stop one of the most prolific human rights violations.

A new era of high and volatile food prices is causing life-changing shifts in society, according to Oxfam and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in a joint report published today.