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Oxfam prepares response to Beirut blast – Lebanon

Oxfam is working with local partners to assess how it can help those who have lost their homes and livelihoods in the Beirut explosion.

Oxfam is extremely concerned about the ability of communities in Beirut, and the rest of Lebanon, to recover from the latest crisis. Even before the blast, Lebanon was at breaking point, with people struggling to cope with multiple, complex crises of economic collapse and a global pandemic.  The scale and magnitude of the disaster means hundreds of thousands of people now need immediate aid including food, shelter, water, fuel, protection, as well as support to rebuild their lives and livelihoods well into the future.

Oxfam Lebanon Policy Lead, Bachir Ayoub said this ‘crisis on crises’ creates huge challenges for people in Lebanon for years to come:

“Lebanon was already struggling to cope.  The economy has been in a tailspin, the local currency has lost approximately 80 percent of its value, and the last month has seen a dramatic increase in coronavirus cases with hospitals already under pressure.

“People whose homes have been damaged or completely destroyed will not be able to access their money to start to repair or rebuild, and essential items like wheat and medicine will soon be scarce, as the Port of Beirut, the major storage and supply point, has been obliterated.   A massive effort will be required to recover.

“The devastation in Beirut is unimaginable, and the road to recovery will be long and hard. Like all of Beirut, Oxfam staff have been affected. Some have had homes completely destroyed, others have sustained injuries. Thankfully, all are safe. We stand in solidarity with all have been affected as we work together to rebuild.”

Oxfam New Zealand’s response to the deadly Beirut blast is focused on supporting the people most vulnerable to imminent food and medicine shortages, particularly Syrian refugees living in Lebanon and their host communities who were already facing economic crisis and long-term food and livelihood insecurity. Donate here: www.oxfam.org.nz/beirut  

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For further information and interviews please contact:

Kelsey-Rae Taylor | Kelsey-Rae.Taylor@oxfam.org.nz | +64 21 298 9854

NOTES TO EDITORS

·       Oxfam has been working in Lebanon since 1993 providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people affected by conflict, and promoting economic development, good governance at a local and national level, and women’s rights through work with local partners. Oxfam also works with local partners to contribute to the protection and empowerment of marginalised women and men.

·       Lebanon hosts the largest number of refugees per capita in the world: 1 out of every 4 people. In response to the Syria crisis, Oxfam has been providing water and sanitation, and emergency cash assistance for refugees and poor Lebanese, helping refugees with legal protection issues, and supporting small businesses and private-sector job creation. Oxfam is currently working in North Lebanon, the Bekaa Valley, South Lebanon, and in Palestinian camps and gatherings.

Oxfam concerned with the recent spike in PNG COVID-19 cases

Papua New Guinea

Oxfam in PNG with its local partners is deeply concerned with the recent spike in the number of COVID-19 cases reported in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The recent increase within the communities exposes many people, particularly the most vulnerable, to the risk of possibly contracting the virus.

Oxfam PNG Country Director, Anand Das, explained that in response to the alarming number of new COVID-19 cases Oxfam remains committed to supporting the work being done by Government in ensuring the safety of its citizens especially in vulnerable communities by re-enforcing the need to adhere to COVID-19 protocols and preventative measures.

“We have observed that there is still a large number of people who are not adhering or are unable to adhere to the preventative measures enforced by Government and this is extremely worrying. The National Department of Health has also reported seeing community transmission in the National Central District, making our work in amplifying our awareness messages even more vital at this point,” said Mr Das.

PNG lifted its COVID-19 Pandemic State of Emergency on 2 June 2020 and in the first week of July three more cases were confirmed. Thereafter, the total number of reported cases increased to 31 and then 62 within just a few days. As of 1 August, total cases have now increased to 91; including 51 active cases and two deaths.

The PNG government has taken immediate action by restricting domestic travel, increasing provincial border checks, and making wearing of masks mandatory, restricting public gatherings, imposing of curfews and intensifying contact tracing efforts.

“Testing clinics have also been set-up in various centres and the St John’s Ambulance is also providing testing services at a small fee to assist.  We encourage people to take advantage of this service and most importantly to adhere to the protocols,” said Mr Das.

He explained that there is growing concern also with the lack of understanding by the public on the need to utilise these clinics and the laxity in adhering to the preventative measures. “There is a need for more coordinated communication to re-enforce the messaging and this is where civil society organisations, NGOs and local partners can assist in reaching out to the people.”

Oxfam has initiated its COVID-19 Response Plan with support from the Australian Humanitarian Partnership Disaster Ready (DFAT) programme to spread community awareness through different forms of local and international media. Assistance received from the New Zealand Government (through MFAT) is also being initiated with an integrated approach of public health projects, awareness on COVID protocols, addressing food and income security of vulnerable populations and supporting district and provincial administration in the response.

“With the restrictions, our immediate concern is the safety and well-being of our staff and their families as well. We are also concerned with the safety of our partners in the communities and we may consider scaling down some of our programs on the ground and focus more on risk communication and community engagement by providing more COVID-19 awareness through the media,” explained Das.

Das also added that cases are expected to increase, and Oxfam in PNG will focus on community outreach and awareness on COVID-19 protocols throughout the next 12-18 months, while concentrating on building resilience of communities through food security and nutritional activities, hand hygiene and safe sanitation, and gender and inclusion, including addressing gender relations and women’s increased workloads in the long run and supporting district and provincial administration in finalising their COVID-19 Response Plans.

 

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For interviews or more information please contact: 
Kelsey-Rae Taylor | Kelsey-Rae.Taylor@oxfam.org.nz | +64 21 298 9854

COVID-19: First cases confirmed in the Sahrawi camps, 173,000 refugees at risk

Coronavirus has breached the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, putting over 170,000 chronically vulnerable refugees at significant risk, Oxfam said today.

The rates of preexisting health conditions in the camps is gravely concerning and could make this outbreak particularly dangerous. Fifty-two per cent of women living in the camps are anemic, over 11 per cent of adults have diabetes, and six per cent live with coeliac disease, the highest prevalence in the world.

The camp clinics have no ventilators, too few beds, and drastic shortages of medical supplies and protective equipment.

Oxfam Country Director in Algeria, Haissam Minkara, said: “This is the news people here have been fearing. Sahrawi refugees have been displaced for 45 years in the harsh Algerian Sahara, where food and water are incredibly scarce and so many suffer from pre-existing vulnerabilities. The health infrastructure in the camps is too fragile to cope with the potential catastrophe that COVID-19 could bring.”

Despite a joint appeal for $14 million launched in April by Oxfam and eight other humanitarian agencies operating in the refugee camps to mitigate the worst effects of the pandemic and adapt programs in the health, WaSH, food, and education sectors to address emerging challenges, the COVID-response remains drastically underfunded. Local authorities and organizations remain extremely underprepared to protect people.  

Oxfam Is distributing protective equipment and hygiene items to 33 public health facilities and clinics in the camps, improving people’s access to clean water, increasing distributions of fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as gluten-free flour, and promoting proper hygiene practices among the community.

“The Sahrawi refugee crisis has been overlooked by the international community for over four decades and now the stakes couldn’t be higher. Organizations like Oxfam are mobilizing resources, but it will not be enough. The international community must support local authorities and agencies to deal with this outbreak or the outcome could be catastrophic,” said Mr. Minkara.

 

Notes to Editors:

Since 1975 Algeria has hosted a large proportion of the Sahrawi population in refugee camps near the city of Tindouf, the majority of whom are dependent on humanitarian aid to sustain basic needs such as access to food, water, and shelter. The camps are situated in a particularly hostile environment, with temperatures reaching up to 55 degrees Celsius in July and August, frequent sandstorms, constant drought and rare but devastating torrential rains. As a result, refugees suffer from persistent levels of food insecurity and malnutrition and have limited opportunities for self-reliance.

Oxfam has been active in the camps since 1975, and over the years, our work has evolved from emergency aid to the multifaceted provision of humanitarian support, resilience and capacity building activities.

For more on Oxfam in the Sahrawi refugee camps: https://www.oxfam.org/en/what-we-do/countries/algeria

Joint-COVID-19 submission for refugees from Western Sahara in camps in Algeria: https://reliefweb.int/report/algeria/comprehensive-needs-covid-19-prevention-and-response-refugees-western-sahara-tindouf

For more information contact:

Anna Samulski | anna.samulski@oxfam.org | +1 718 644 8511 

World at a crossroads: Extra billion dollars required in time of unprecedented need – NZ aid agencies

A group of New Zealand’s leading international aid agencies have launched a joint campaign today, calling for New Zealand to dramatically increase its aid funding and climate finance for poorer countries.   

 

Oxfam, World Vision and Christian World Service, with the backing of ten other agencies, have organised a petition for the government to adopt a Collective Resilience Plan – a three-year roadmap to boost New Zealand aid and climate finance.

 

As the coronavirus pandemic threatens to undo decades of progress in the fight against poverty, the Collective Resilience Plan outlines critical steps to improve New Zealand’s action to solve global problems, including: 

 

  • A 20% boost to the overall aid budget, equating to approximately $500 million over three years, focused on healthcare, social protection and community resilience
  • A doubling of finance for overseas climate action for frontline countries from new and additional sources, equating to approximately $500 million
  • A timeline for increasing New Zealand’s aid spend to meet the global target of 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2030

Executive director of Oxfam New Zealand Rachael Le Mesurier said while New Zealand had so far successfully managed the coronavirus pandemic the rest of the world had been hit incredibly hard by the crisis.

 

“We are facing unprecedented global health and economic crises,” said Le Mesurier. “The stark reality is that, as we speak, decades of progress against poverty and inequality is being unravelled. We are at a crucial tipping point with millions more people being pushed into poverty, and countries already grappling with the threat of climate breakdown now facing the economic downturn of the century driven by the global pandemic,” she said.

 

“Kiwis worked together to keep each other safe,” she said. “Now it’s time to help our global neighbours, who have been standing strong in the fight against climate breakdown but now face compounding immediate dangers – hunger and a deadly virus.” 

 

National director of World Vision New Zealand, Grant Bayldon said: “Without decisive collective action, the poorest people will pay the highest price. People who have to work hard for their food every day, and do not have the same social welfare safety nets available that we do, now cannot go out to earn a living. Imagine facing that impossible dilemma – put food on the table for your family, or risk their health and your own, by being exposed to the virus?” 

 

The NGO group is also asking for a concrete timeline for New Zealand to meet global targets for aid spending as a proportion of GNI by 2030, saying although we as a country have already committed to the targets, successive governments have so far made slow progress towards implementing them.

 

“When it comes to overseas aid, countries like the UK, Germany and Denmark contribute more than double the share of their national income than we currently do,” said Bayldon. “Meanwhile we languish near the bottom of the pack of wealthy countries for our funding of overseas climate action. New Zealand can and should be doing more.”

 

Christian World Service national director Pauline McKay said containing the pandemic required a united, global approach to keep everyone safe, especially the most vulnerable. “As we saw with Ebola, dealing with global health challenges requires that countries work together by investing in the safety nets and services necessary to look after everyone through this time.”

 

“The admirable way Kiwis have looked after some of our most vulnerable here in New Zealand shows what we can achieve when communities work together,” said McKay. “This pandemic has highlighted just how connected we all are, and it’s crucial we stand together with our international neighbours, now when it’s most critically needed.”

 

A recent Oxfam briefing revealed how the social and economic fallout of the pandemic could kill more people from hunger than from the disease itself, as a result of mass unemployment, disruption to food production and supplies, and declining aid. 

 

“We are at a global crossroads,” Le Mesurier said. “Without countries pulling together to provide crucial aid, the world will endure many long, rolling years of hardship and disease that will have both direct and indirect impact on us all, wherever we live. 

 

“We urge New Zealanders to join our call for big hearts and a connected world, and sign the petition to build a stronger global community.” 

 

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Notes to editors: 

 

· Oxfam, World Vision and Christian World Service are leading the year-long campaign at www.bighearts.org.nz, with CARE, Christian Blind Mission, Engineers Without Borders New Zealand, FairTrade Australia NZ, New Zealand Family Planning, Hagar New Zealand, Rotary New Zealand World Community Service, Tearfund, Trade Aid, and UnionAID

· New Zealand currently gives approximately 0.28% of Gross National Income to overseas aid. The internationally agreed target is 0.7% of GNI to overseas aid. 

·  New Zealand ranks 19th out of 23 Annex I countries in climate-specific finance per capita given to developing countries, based on the latest summary data from the UNFCCC.

· OECD data shows that rich countries only committed 0.30 percent of their combined gross national income (GNI) to development aid, down from 0.31 percent in 2018, and well below the 0.7 percent they promised back in 1970.  

· The campaign comes after the release of The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World by the United Nations (UN), which estimates between 778 million and 828 million people globally may go hungry this year. 

· The recent Oxfam briefing ‘The Hunger Virus’ found that the social and economic fallout of the pandemic could kill more people from hunger than from the disease itself. 

· On 30 March 2020, the UN called for a US$2.5 trillion coronavirus crisis package for developing countries. This includes: US$1 trillion liquidity injections to be made available through the expanded use of special drawing rights; the cancellation of US$1 trillion of debts owed by developing countries this year; and US$500 billion in overseas aid to fund a Marshall Plan for health recovery and dispersed as grants.

 

 

For images, interviews or more information please contact: 
Kelsey-Rae Taylor | Kelsey-Rae.Taylor@oxfam.org.nz | 021 298 9854

Over 80 millionaires around the world call for higher taxes on the richest to help COVID-19 global recovery

Today, a group of 83 millionaires from seven countries, the “Millionaires for Humanity”, released an open letter to governments, calling for a permanent tax increase on the very wealthiest to help pay for the global recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.

The letter praises the essential workers who have been on the frontline of the crisis and highlights the role that the richest people in society can play in helping to rebalance the world economy. In it, the group urges governments to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires “immediately, substantially and permanently.”

The group released their call ahead of this weekend’s G20 Finance Ministers and Central Governors meeting, and the Special European Council meeting in Brussels, both of which are expected to discuss the global effort to rebuild economies in a post-COVID world. They hope politicians will address global inequality and acknowledge that tax increases on the wealthy and greater international tax transparency are essential for a viable long-term solution.

Prominent signatories include the founder of the Warehouse Group, New Zealander Sir Stephen Tindall, British screenwriter and director Richard Curtis, American film producer and heiress Abigail Disney, Danish-Iranian entrepreneur Djaffar Shalchi, American co-founder of Ben and Jerry’s Jerry Greenfield, award winning German start-up investor and philanthropist Dr. Mariana Bozesan, and American former managing director at Blackrock Morris Pearl.

Morris Pearl, investor and the chairman of the Patriotic Millionaires said: “The COVID-19 crisis has revealed the fragility of our system and shown that no one ―rich or poor― is better off in a society with massive inequality and a failing social safety net. We must reset our tax structure to one that values the contribution of labor as much as the contribution of capital.”

Djaffar Shalchi, entrepreneur, philanthropist and founder of Human Act said: “Together, we question the concentration of wealth, and demand hands on solutions to create more economically viable societies. Personally, I believe we need a global wealth tax of one percent on the world’s richest people. People like me can afford it, it will do us no harm, and it will have a huge impact.”

Dr. Mariana Bozesan, 2019’s European female investor of the year and philanthropist said: “Like the 2008 financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic shows us that current systems, including economic, financial and political, are not well equipped to handle current grand global challenges; they are only exacerbating them. Because I grew up extremely poor in communist Romania, I feel a deep calling to do whatever I can to implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and am especially focused on inequality, poverty, and job creation that can restore dignity and well-being at all levels of society.”

The letter was circulated by the Patriotic Millionaires, Oxfam, Human Act, Tax Justice UK, Club of Rome, Resource Justice, and Bridging Ventures, and warns that the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could push half a billion more people into poverty.

Notes to editors

Download the full letter and list of signatories

For more information or to coordinate an interview, please contact:

  • Kelsey-Rae Taylor at Kelsey-Rae.Taylor@oxfam.org.nz or 021 298 5894 

Hunger could kill millions more than Covid-19, warns Oxfam

12,000 people per day could die from Covid-19 linked hunger by end of year, potentially more than the disease, warns Oxfam. 

Eight of the biggest food and beverage companies pay out $18 billion to shareholders as new epicentres of hunger emerge across the globe

As many as 12,000 people could die per day by the end of the year as a result of hunger linked to COVID-19, potentially more than could die from the disease, warned Oxfam in a new briefing published today. The global observed daily mortality rate for COVID-19 reached its highest recorded point in April 2020 at just over 10,000 deaths per day.

‘The Hunger Virus,’ reveals how 121 million more people could be pushed to the brink of starvation this year as a result of the social and economic fallout from the pandemic including through mass unemployment, disruption to food production and supplies, and declining aid.

Oxfam’s Interim Executive Director Chema Vera said:

“COVID-19 is the last straw for millions of people already struggling with the impacts of conflict, climate change, inequality and a broken food system that has impoverished millions of food producers and workers. Meanwhile, those at the top are continuing to make a profit: eight of the biggest food and drink companies paid out over $18 billion to shareholders since January even as the pandemic was spreading across the globe – ten times more than the UN says is needed to stop people going hungry.”  

The briefing reveals the world’s ten worst hunger hotspots, places such as Venezuela and South Sudan where the food crisis is most severe and getting worse as a result of the pandemic. It also highlights emerging epicentres of hunger – middle income countries such as India, South Africa, and Brazil – where millions of people who were barely managing have been tipped over the edge by the pandemic. For example:

 Kadidia Diallo, a female milk producer in Burkina Faso, told Oxfam: “COVID-19 is causing us a lot of harm. Giving my children something to eat in the morning has become difficult. We are totally dependent on the sale of milk, and with the closure of the market we can’t sell the milk anymore. If we don’t sell milk, we don’t eat.”

Women, and women-headed households, are more likely to go hungry despite the crucial role they play as food producers and workers. Women are already vulnerable because of systemic discrimination that sees them earn less and own fewer assets than men. They make up a large proportion of groups, such as informal workers, that have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic, and have also borne the brunt of a dramatic increase in unpaid care work as a result of school closures and family illness. 

““Governments must contain the spread of this deadly disease but it is equally vital they take action to stop the pandemic killing as many – if not more – people from hunger,” said Vera.

“Governments can save lives now by fully funding the UN’s COVID-19 appeal, making sure aid gets to those who need it most, and cancelling the debts of developing countries to free up funding for social protection and healthcare. To end this hunger crisis, governments must also build fairer, more robust, and more sustainable food systems, that put the interests of food producers and workers before the profits of big food and agribusiness,” added Vera.

Since the pandemic began, Oxfam has reached 4.5 million of the world’s most vulnerable people with food aid and clean water, working together with over 344 partners across 62 countries. We aim to reach a total of 14 million people by raising a further $113m to support our programmes.

Notes to editor

The Hunger Virus: How the coronavirus is fuelling hunger in a hungry world is available on request.

Stories, pictures, and video highlighting the impact of Covid-19 pandemic on hunger across the globe are available on request.

The WFP estimates that the number of people in crisis level hunger − defined as IPC level 3 or above – will increase by approximately 121 million this year as a result of the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. The estimated daily mortality rate for IPC level 3 and above is 0.5−0.99 per 10,000 people, equating to 6,000−12,000 deaths per day due to hunger as a result of the pandemic before the end of 2020.             The global observed daily mortality rate for COVID-19 reached its highest recorded point in April 2020 at just over 10,000 deaths per day and has ranged from approximately 5,000 to 7,000 deaths per day in the months since then according to data from John Hopkins University. While there can be no certainty about future projections, if there is no significant departure from these observed trends during the rest of the year, and if the WFP estimates for increasing numbers of people experiencing crisis level hunger hold, then it is likely that daily deaths from hunger as a result of the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic will be higher than those from the disease before the end of 2020. It is important to note that there is some overlap between these numbers given that some deaths due to COVID-19 could be linked to malnutrition.

Oxfam gathered information on dividend payments of eight of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies up to the beginning of July 2020, using a mixture of company, NASDAQ, and Bloomberg websites. Numbers are rounded to the nearest million: Coca-Cola ($3,522m), Danone ($1,348m), General Mills ($594m), Kellogg ($391m),  Mondelez ($408m), Nestlé ($8,248m for entire year), PepsiCo ($2,749m) and Unilever (estimated $1,180m). Many of these companies are pursuing efforts to address COVID-19 and/or global hunger.

The ten extreme hunger hotspots are: Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Afghanistan, Venezuela, the West African Sahel, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, and Haiti.

Copyright © 2024 Oxfam Aotearoa.

Oxfam is a worldwide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against injustice. Oxfam Aotearoa is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Register (registration CC24641). Donations are tax refundable.

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