humanitarian crisis

Today, Egala and Oxfam published a new report, “Brutal Barriers”, detailing the frightening and sometimes deadly journey of people trying to reach safety in Europe. Survivors’ testimonies reveal the violence inflicted by both Polish and Belarusian authorities on people seeking asylum as well as the treacherous conditions people face in crossing the swamplands of the primeval Białowieża forest.

This report collects extensive existing evidence, testimonies, and the voices of people seeking protection, in order to document the human consequences of restrictive, illegal and inhumane policies at this border.

In the forest at the Poland-Belarus border, thousands of people on the move are caught in a dire situation, facing violence from authorities on both sides in an area marked by a human rights crisis.

Oxfam today urged all parties to the conflict in Yemen to extend the current truce to help avert catastrophic hunger and prevent the humanitarian crisis spiralling in Yemen. The two-month truce which is due to end on 2 June, has brought hope to the country after seven years of conflict.

In response to today’s Virtual High-Level Pledging Event on the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, Ferran Puig, Oxfam’s Country Director in Yemen said: “The world must not look away while Yemen suffers. Even before the Ukraine conflict drove up food prices and threatened food imports, two thirds of major aid programmes had already been reduced or closed because of lack of funding." 

Reacting to the latest report by the UN’s Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen, Oxfam’s Yemen Country Director Muhsin Siddiquey said: “This damning evidence of indiscriminate attacks and serious violations of human rights by all sides in Yemen should shame all those who are fuelling this conflict by selling arms to the belligerents."

Iraq is a fragile state with 4 million people still in need of humanitarian assistance and the coronavirus pandemic is likely to exacerbate vulnerabilities. In light of this, Oxfam’s work is more crucial than ever. Along with our partners, we work closely with local authorities and communities, as well as supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The Horn, East and Central Africa are facing a profoundly alarming hunger crisis. More than 66 million people are in need of humanitarian aid as climate extremes have caused widespread food and water shortages. Oxfam is on the ground responding but we urgently need your help to save more lives.

The agencies call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians, facilitate safe passage of those trapped in conflict areas, allow humanitarian access to those in need and cease damage to vital infrastructure.

The Human Rights Council decision not to set up an independent inquiry to investigate human rights violations by all sides to the conflict in Yemen is unacceptable.