News & Media

The Big Uneasy: Israel’s easing of the Gaza land, air and sea blockade: promises and realities

December 8, 2011

For the vast majority of people in Gaza, life has not become any easier, despite pledges by the Government of Israel in June and December 2010 to ease the ongoing blockade. Not only have certain commitments gone unfulfilled, but the unacceptably high levels of poverty and unemployment show that a token number of trucks cannot deliver what people need to rebuild their shattered lives. Karni crossing has been locked down, exports over the last year have all but ceased, and the entry of materials needed to kick start the economy remain hopelessly delayed. Residents of Gaza do not need more broken promises, they need meaningful change brought through an end to the blockade. The International Community can help make this a reality by living up to its responsibility to Palestinians in Gaza and working with the government of Israel to ensure the opening of all crossings in accordance with International Law. The crossings can be equipped with the technology necessary to handle the free flow of people and goods while addressing Israel’s security concerns.

Download file:

oxfam-gaza-blockade-factsheet-dec2011.pdf

Mirror mirror on the wall, which are the most generous New Zealand towns of all?

December 4, 2011

Oxfam has revealed New Zealand’s most generous towns in its first-ever Oxfam Unwrapped Generosity List. By looking at the numbers and locations of gifts given through the Oxfam Unwrapped appeal, the organisation has named the South Island town of Upper Moutere as the country’s most generous.

Oxfam and WWF join with shipowners to urge agreement on way forward for tackling greenhouse gas emissions from ships

November 30, 2011

At the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa (COP 17, Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2011), the global shipping industry, Oxfam and WWF have joined forces to suggest to governments how the further reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping might best be regulated.
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Pakistan’s forgotten emergency

November 29, 2011

Three months after widespread flooding that has affected over 5 million people in southern Pakistan, a critical shortage of funding and broad international disinterest has left millions of people at risk of illness, malnutrition and cold as the winter closes in.

Extreme weather endangers food security: 2010-11, A grim foretaste of future suffering and hunger?

November 29, 2011

This Oxfam media brief documents some of the devastating impacts that extreme weather events have had on global, regional and local food security in 2010-11, and the severe consequences for the lives and livelihoods of people in poverty. Our failure to cope with the climate variability and shocks of today presents a daunting outlook for food security tomorrow. For governments around the world this serves as an urgent call to act at the UN climate talks in Durban if the extreme weather events witnessed in 2010-11 are not to be a grim foretaste of future suffering and hunger.

Download file:

Oxfam Durban Media Brief (2).pdf

Oxfam strongly condemns the use of excessive force by the Egyptian authorities against peaceful demonstrators

November 24, 2011

International aid agency Oxfam is deeply concerned about the escalating violence witnessed across Egypt and strongly condemns the excessive use of force by Egyptian security forces against peaceful demonstrators. The Egyptian authorities should be held responsible for the unjustifiable use of live bullets, rubber coated steel bullets and lethal quantities of tear gas against civilians.