News & Media

Locusts swarm into northern Uganda as Oxfam looks toward a $5m humanitarian response across region

February 12, 2020

Locust infestations have just hit two new districts in northern Uganda as they continue to plague Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia, and threaten Sudan and South Sudan. There are also reports of the swarms now in Tanzania.

“Everyone is in panic and trying to make noise to drive the locusts away, says Oxfam’s Ethiopia Country Director Gezahegn Gebrehana.

This is the worst locust crisis in 70 years for Kenya alone. Locust breeding is continuing with more juvenile insects developing now, so the swarms could still get bigger, more widespread and last until June if not brought more quickly under control. There are already 22.8m people living in acute to severe food insecurity in those six countries following consecutive failed rainy seasons, unusual floods and storms.

The fast-moving locust swarms have been made worse by climate change because they have been encouraged to feed on newly “greened” vegetation, the result of unusual weather patterns. They are devastating pastures and grasslands and could ruin new food crops from the March-to-July growing season.

“We depend on livestock and if there is no fodder for our livestock, life will be difficult for us, we ask for help urgently,” said Mohammed Hassan Abdille, a farmer from Bura Dhima in Tana River, Kenya.

Oxfam is gearing up its humanitarian operations and will work closely with local partners and communities. It will aim to reach over 190,000 of the most vulnerable people with cash assistance, livestock feed, seeds and health services.

In Somalia, together with our partners, it aims to reach 11,670 households of the most vulnerable people. In Kenya, Oxfam will work inside the Arid and Semi-Arid Land (ASAL) Humanitarian Platform that has members in seven of the 13 affected counties and aims to assist 3000 households in the first phase of operations, and another 5,000 in the second. In Ethiopia, Oxfam aims to reach another 5,000 households with similar aid.

Oxfam will need to secure more than $5m to mount this response. Oxfam teams in South Sudan and Sudan are also preparing against the likelihood of new infestations there.

Oxfam says that lessons from the last local plague in the Sahel in 2003-5 showed that a two-pronged attack was vital, to control the pests as well as work to do everything possible to protect local people’s livelihoods and restore them as quickly as possible.

Oxfam continues to urge international donors to fully fund the FAO’s $76m appeal as soon as possible. The current total stands at around $18m. “This is the time for decisive action,” said Gebrehana.

Notes to editors:

Nearly 22.8 million people are severely food insecure (IPC 3 and above) as follows : in Ethiopia (6.7 million people), Kenya (3.1 million), Somalia (2.1 million), South Sudan (4.5 million), Sudan (5.8 million) and Uganda (600,000).
Given the scale of the current swarms, aerial control is the only effective means to reduce the locust numbers. In Ethiopia, ground teams and four aircraft are conducting control operations against swarms – nearly 8,000 hectares were treated in the first two weeks of January 2020. In Kenya, four aircraft are currently spraying, but operations have been limited due to available capacity or collective experience – Kenya last faced a Desert Locust invasion in 2007”
The outbreak, which has primarily been driven by the recent climatic shocks in the region, comes after Oxfam warned of a potential outbreak in Uganda end of last month.
The swarms which could grow 500 times bigger by June are devastating pasture and food supplies across parts of Ethiopia and Kenya and could also put South Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti at risk, making it the worst of such situation in 25 years.
In Kenya, the locust swarms have increased significantly over the past month in across 13 counties including Isiolo, Samburu, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Marsabit, Laikipia, Mandera, Kitui, Baringo, Meru, Embu and Turkana

Farmers helping farmers

February 11, 2020

A Kiwi sharing skills in Timor-Leste

Lou Bird, a Kiwi ex-farmer and a Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) volunteer, is working together with Timorese farmers and their families to improve nutrition, yields and income generation.

Oxfam’s project in Timor-Leste focuses on supporting Timorese farmers to become self-reliant and to thrive. Working through local partners, Oxfam delivers tools, training and advice so they can boost their income and secure a steady supply of food.

“My role is working with the local NGOs that deliver the project at the grassroots level. That suits me down to the ground, because it’s hands on and I’m interacting with farmers,” says Lou.

“There’s something about farmers worldwide that whenever farmers get together, they always have something talk about – climate, soils, pests, nature…”

One of the initiatives Lou has helped deliver alongside Oxfam involves a new candlenut shelling machine, which saves women the laborious task of cracking the nuts one by one.

“Deshelling candlenuts is hugely time consuming. It’s typically women’s work. A sack of candlenuts in the shell would typically take one person a day and a half to shell. One by one, on a rock,” he says.

“One and a half day’s work for one person can now be completed in 10 minutes. The women are thrilled. It’s a radical transformation and potential for that crop.”

Mung beans — *A farmer holds nutritious mung beans from a recent harvest*.

Lou has also used his expertise to help farmers grow nutritious crops that can be easily stored and eaten during the low season: “We’ve been promoting the growth of dry bean species – mung beans, soy beans, red beans – and peanuts, onion species, shallots, that in the right conditions can be stored for a very long time.”

Umbelina de Araujo Ximenes & Francisco Bensasi — *Farmers Umbelina de Araujo Ximenes and Francisco Bensasi with their son, 6.*

These new crops help tide families over through the hungry months, when cassava – a filling but nutrient-poor staple – would usually be the primary component of their diet.

“When people have got good nutrition and adequate food and things, then you’re stronger and you can accept more challenges.”

Decades of experience as a farmer in New Zealand has given Lou a special insight into the many challenges of small-scale agriculture, but also how rewarding it can be.

Lou Bird_Anna Mosley ONZ 2 — *Lou Bird with Anna Mosley, Timor-Leste portfolio manager at Oxfam New Zealand.*

“One of the big things I have in common [with local farmers] is understanding cycles… understanding risk from a farmer’s perspective, because the buck stops at the farmer. Farmers are at the very bottom of every value chain within the food complex.

“The other element is that I recognise the ability of the farmers. They are good farmers. They have been successfully growing food crops for hundreds, thousands of years – I don’t know how long.

“And it’s really satisfying for me to be able to turn to these farmers, and say to them, ‘Well, you know how to grow food. You’re good farmers. So where is it you want me to give you some support and help, and we can talk about things?’”

The impact on rural Timorese communities has been deep and widespread. Thanks to the generous donations backing Lou’s work, many small-scale Timorese farmers have been given the support they need to feed their families nutritious food all year round.

The IMPACT project is co-funded by Oxfam New Zealand’s generous donors and the New Zealand Aid Programme. Lou is on a VSA assignment with Oxfam in Timor-Leste.

To support Oxfam’s work in Timor-Leste and around the world, visit www.oxfam.org.nz/donate.

Edgecumbe woman takes on Oxfam’s 100km trailwalker for the third time

January 30, 2020

Kate Casey Oxfam Trailwalker — *Kate Casey, centre-right, with fellow walkers at the finish line of Oxfam Trailwalker in 2018. Photo: Photos4Sale/Oxfam*

Edgecumbe local Kate Casey (and third time Oxfam Trailwalker participant) lost her home and most of her possessions when a breach in the Rangitāiki river stop bank unleashed a wall of water on the small community. To keep her spirits up, Casey decided to take on the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker in 2018 after completing the 50km with her sister before the flood. “We went through a lot, and putting my all into training helped me immensely. It helped me to stay positive on down days when I didn’t really want to go for a walk, but then I would and I’d feel better.”

This year Casey will be doing the 100km for the third time, with her current team Quads of Fury, who are all based in Whakatāne. Completing the 100k trail is no small feat, but the same will and perseverance that got Casey through the devastation from the flood helps keep her going when training gets hard. “I keep walking even when I’m sore, because I’m too determined not to finish. I don’t like to give up.” The Quads of Fury ladies have a unique way to motivate each other to keep going while on the track. “One funny thing our team does is that we sing a version of 99 bottles, but instead it is how many kilometres we have walked.”

Oxfam Trailwalker is being held in the Bay of Plenty region for the fifth and final time – for now. It features 100 kilometres of trail through Whakatāne, Ōhope and Edgecumbe on a track that sees participants walking along coastal tracks, sandy beaches, farmland and native bush. Seeing the 2017 event kick off in Edgecumbe meant a lot to Casey after everything the community has been through. “It was really neat seeing a lot of the locals around the Whakatāne walkways cheering us on. That was awesome. Last year the event started one street over from where my house was in Edgecumbe. We had a laugh that I could have rolled out of bed late and still made it!”

Despite the obstacles she has faced on and off the track, Casey has been able to successfully complete the track each year, proving hard work truly pays off. “This experience has been amazing, it’s shown me that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. Despite everything going on, I did it, and my kids saw me do it.”

Oxfam Trailwalker has now become a family event for the Caseys. This year, Kate’s sister will be doing the 50km event with her mum, niece and eldest son in their own team. “Everyone in my family has had their high points and low points, and Trailwalker has helped us to support each other through tough times.”

Late last year, Kate and her family embarked on a year-long trip around the South Island. “With everything that happened, we made a big decision to give up work, sell up, and buy a caravan. We just needed a change to help us heal after everything we’ve been through. But we’ll be back in March for the walk.” Quads of Fury plan to stay connected despite the distance until they are reunited in March for the big event.“We had tears when I said goodbye the other day. We’re planning on video-chatting while we train, so that we’re still walking together.”

Casey firmly believes that anyone can participate in Oxfam Trailwalker, and highly recommends the event to anyone looking to give it a go. “It is the experience of a lifetime. I’ve been able to do something to help myself. I have built life-long friendships, we’ve done something together that is so memorable and will never forget, but also you are helping a great cause. It’s a win-win. If you think you can’t do it, just try.”

Entries for Oxfam Trailwalker close on 31 January, 2020. The event is being held on 21-22 March, 2020 – in the scenic Bay of Plenty region. Find out more here

Millions of swarming locusts devastate crops

January 29, 2020

Swarms of locusts that are sweeping across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia could grow 500 times bigger by June and invade Uganda and South Sudan unless they are immediately brought under control, says Oxfam.

The plagues have hit the region at a time when it is already facing very high levels of food insecurity after countries there had been hit by huge droughts and in some areas flash floods.

“Currently, 25.5 million people in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda are already suffering from hunger and severe malnutrition. These infestations of hundreds of millions of locusts need to be quickly contained before the next main cropping season of March to July,” said Lydia Zigomo, the Regional Director of Oxfam in Horn, East and Central Africa (HECA).

A large desert locust plague can contain up to 150 million individuals per square kilometre, with half a million locusts weighing approximately one tonne. One tonne of locusts eats as much food in one day as about 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2,500 people. The insects can destroy at least 200 tonnes of vegetation per day.

“Ethiopia has been in continuous drought since 2015 and then recently hit with floods that have all but destroyed the harvest. This locust infestation has now destroyed hundreds of square kilometres of vegetation in the Amhara and Tigray regions since November 2019. The cyclone in early December 2019 made the presence of locusts stronger. Local authorities are addressing the situation, but they need more help,” Zigomo said.

The locust swarms have increased significantly over the past month in across 13 Kenyan counties including Isiolo, Samburu, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Marsabit, Laikipia, Mandera, Kitui, Baringo, Meru, Embu and Turkana. These same counties have experienced devastating droughts and floods in recent years and over 3 million people there have been facing extreme levels of food insecurity. The swarms are destroying pasture for livestock and which will likely devastate the upcoming planting season.

In Somalia, tens of thousands of hectares of land have been affected in Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug (Mudug), as mature swarms hit the Garbahare area near the Kenyan border. Locusts are also reported to be travelling south to Somalia’s Gedo region leaving a trail of destroyed farms. Operations are underway in the northeast (Puntland) to control the swarms that continue to move towards the central and southern areas. Insecurity in some of these parts is hampering efforts to survey and control the infestations.

Oxfam is part of a network of local partner organisations that is monitoring how much further damage the locusts will cause to local food crops. “We are making plans that include providing cash assistance to people most-in-need, particularly small-holder farmers and pastoralists, so they are able to buy food and fodder for their livestock,” said Zigomo.

The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia need $70m between them to tackle the plague. Oxfam is calling on donors to fund this response immediately, in order to avoid more people falling hungry and using up whatever assets they have to buy food.

PACIFIC GAME CHANGERS

January 29, 2020

Christine Nurminen, left, with members of Oxfam’s local partner Touching the Untouchables (TTU) and OiPNG team. Henganofi district, Highlands PNG FLOW project, September 2019.

Challenging the international development sector

The recently established Māori and Pacific thought-leadership group Pacific Koloa Collective is the first of its kind for the international development sector in New Zealand. Chairing the unique group is former Pasifika Education Centre (PEC) Chief Executive Christine Nurminen, who towards the end of last year, left PEC to start a new journey as the International Portfolio Manager (Pacific) at Oxfam New Zealand.

When Christine, a former Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) employee, initially arrived in the development and humanitarian sector, she says she immediately saw a need for the international development sector in New Zealand to re-think its values, assumptions and understanding of Pacific peoples in the region. A collective such as this one is essential in New Zealand, Christine says.

Result Project, Tonga — Christine Nurminen, right, with coconut farmer ‘Etita and Tanginoa Tu’iono who had worked closely with our local partner Tongan National Youth Council. Vava’u island, Tonga RESULT project, September 2019.

“There is a lot at stake for New Zealand when defining the Pacific, especially when looking to deepen New Zealand’s influence and relationships within the region.

“For the first time in the international sector here in New Zealand, indigenous Māori and Pacific development, humanitarian practitioners and advocates have been drawn together from different organisations to represents the value of diverse Pacific worldviews, different Pacific language skills to share our years of service and expertise to Pacific peoples to shape doing development differently.”

Fast fashion gets the boot in 2020

January 28, 2020

Is it time you ditched fast fashion for a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle?

Fast fashion in 2020 is unsustainable, and we need to keep brands accountable. We have seen a lot of positive changes last year, within New Zealand, and around the globe. We have seen New Zealand actively trying to reduce our carbon emissions, the rise of electric vehicles and the banning of single use plastics.

Unfortunately the fashion industry seems to be dragging the chain, and remains one of the world’s largest polluters. The industry is the second largest consumer of water and is responsible for 8-10 per cent of global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, according to the United Nations Environment Program.

According to Fee Gilfeather, a sustainability expert at Oxfam, it would take 13 years to drink the water that is used to make one pair of jeans and one T-shirt.

Being the change you want to see means joining with a growing number of consumers who want to know where and how their clothes are produced and are increasingly demanding ethical practices and responsible retailing.

Rubbish — Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

So what simple things can we do to make a change?

Here are five solutions to try:

Shop with the end in mind
In Britain, the Environmental Audit Committee reported on the problem earlier this year and found that the UK buys more clothes than any other country in Europe, throwing away 1 million tonnes annually with 300,000 tonnes going to incinerators or landfills. Think to yourself, will I still wear this item in a year’s time?
Buy quality ethical and fairtrade goods
Purchasing products that are fair-trade certified can reduce poverty, encourage environmentally friendly production methods and safeguard humane working conditions. One example of a fair trade factory is Freeset, a group of social enterprises focused on creating positive employment opportunities for women affected by sex trafficking in West Bengal, India. Freeset Bags & Apparel manufactures bags and T-shirts, Freeset Fabrics is a weaving business and Freeset Business Incubator is focused on facilitating the establishment of new freedom businesses. Make sure to also check out our range of ethical, fairtrade items in the Oxfam Shop. Each item is handcrafted with love and comes with a positive story from the person who made it.
Buy secondhand or recycled
Inditex, the retail giant that owns Zara, H&M and many other brands, announced a sustainability pledge in July 2019, saying it wants all its clothes to be made from sustainable or recycled fabrics by 2025. Every week 11 million items of clothing end up in landfill, putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people – this throwaway fashion culture is unsustainable. But there is something you can do to help. You can join ‘Second Hand September’ and pledge to say no to new clothes for 30 days.
Buy once, buy well
In 2015, a sustainability report by Nielsen found that 66 per cent of consumers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly clothing. Use Tear Fund’s buying guide to help you make better choices. You can read their 2019 Ethical Fashion Report here
Or buy nothing at all
Practice the habit of going through a day or week without buying anything. You could join the Buy Nothing Day (BND) movement – an international day of protest against consumerism. In North America, the United Kingdom, Finland and Sweden, Buy Nothing Day is held the day after U.S. Thanksgiving, concurrent to Black Friday; elsewhere, it is held the following day, which is the last Saturday in November – 28 November 2020 in New Zealand.

Work towards changing your own shopping habits, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re part of a positive trend for good.

Tearfund Fashion Report 2019 — *Tearfund 2019 Fashion Report*

As the EAC says;

“We’re seeing a huge rise in public demand over not just better products, but better buying habits. And we’re looking at a generation that is applying scrutiny, that is wanting to know that brands are accountable.”

Read the full story here