Initial assessments of the aftermath of the storm, which cleared the island’s landmass in the early hours of Saturday morning (25th August), suggest the damage has not been as great as was feared.
There have been media reports of four deaths, but there is no evidence at the moment of major damage to infrastructure or significant casualties.
Camps in the capital Port-au-Prince, such as Jean Marie Vincent, have been flooded, as well as towns in the south of the island, including Les Cayes, Jacmel and Nippes. There are reports of electric pylons collapsing and power outages and some disruption on the roads.
However, with exceptionally heavy rainfall forecast in the wake of the storm and with nearly 400,000 Haitians still living in refugee camps after the massive earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince in 2010, people remain highly vulnerable to the threat of flooding, landslides and water borne diseases, especially cholera.
Oxfam emergency teams are now heading out to the affected areas of the island as soon as possible, allowing workers to carry out more in-depth assessments and to provide aid to those who need it in the form of clean water, hygiene kits and public information about sanitation.
Jane Cocking, Oxfam’s Humanitarian Director, said: “The storm may have passed but living conditions in Haiti remain so challenging for so much of the population that it’s far too early to say the threat is over. People in Haiti have so little that they are incredibly vulnerable to the risks posed by flooding and disease. They remain in desperate need of our help.”
The aid agency is accepting donations to help support its emergency work in Haiti, which is often cited as the poorest country in the western hemisphere with four in five of the population living on less than $2 a day.
]]>The organization is preparing to help in the event it is needed with clean water, temporary shelter materials, hygiene kits, and public information campaigns to help prevent the spread of cholera and other water borne diseases.
With a deluge of rain and winds up to 74 miles an hour forecasted, the risks of heavy flooding, landslides, damage to roads and buildings, and harvest losses in rural areas are high. Of particular concern are the 390,000 people living in 600 camps two and a half years after a major earthquake devastated the capital. Oxfam is also concerned about other vulnerable communities in the path of the storm as well as about the risk that cholera could spread in the aftermath of the storm.
Oxfam is also helping local organizations to prepare, having worked for more than five years to strengthen disaster prevention, preparedness and response in Haiti.
Oxfam is encouraged by steps taken by Haiti’s Directorate for Civilian Protection in advance of this storm, but remains concerned that risks remain high.
Oxfam Country Director Andrew Pugh said, “Nothing short of a miracle can keep people safe from this kind of storm when their only shelter is a tent. Haiti’s disaster preparedness and response capacities have improved since the earthquake, but much remains to be done to help the poorest people cope with hurricane-strength threats.”
]]>Known as Section 1504 or the “Cardin-Lugar” provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the law requires oil, gas and mining companies to disclose payments they make at the country and project level to the United States and foreign governments. Passed nearly two years ago, the law covers more than 1,100 companies, according to the SEC, including around 90 percent of internationally operating oil companies and many of the top international mining companies. This includes American companies such as ExxonMobil and Chevron, foreign companies, such as BP and Shell, and some companies from emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil and Russia.
“By approving final regulations yesterday, the SEC lifts the veil of secrecy on billions of dollars that flow every year from oil and mining companies to governments around the world and will arm citizens of resource-rich countries with information they need to track the amount of money their governments receive from oil and mining companies,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “We commend the United States for taking a leadership position on increasing transparency in the oil, gas and mining industry and the SEC for implementing Congress’ intent and not caving under intense industry pressure.”
Implementation of the law will put the United States in a position to influence a draft European Union law designed to complement Section 1504. The EU proposal requires both publicly and privately-held companies to disclose their payments to governments in countries where they do business.
“The SEC provision covers the vast majority of internationally operating oil companies and the world’s largest mining companies, and with expected European rules covering even more companies, the transparency net will be cast far and wide,” said Offenheiser.
Oxfam has urged the SEC to release final rules that conform to the statutory requirement as well as Congressional intent. While Oxfam is still reviewing the 231 pages of final rule text, the SEC largely appears to have done so. For example, the SEC rejected appeals from industry by not allowing any exemptions to the disclosure requirements for covered companies. Industry commentators had argued that a few countries prohibit disclosure but they did not provide convincing evidence. Oxfam America has made it clear to the SEC that such prohibitions are not known to exist and that creating such an exemption would invite foreign regimes to create new secrecy prohibitions.
While the new rules list all of the payments, such as taxes, royalties, dividends and bonuses companies need to disclose, they do not define the term “project”. There is already a common understanding within the industry of what a project means and it’s usually at the lease, license and concession levels. A company that doesn’t use the definitions widely used by industry is most-likely poorly-managed and investors should be cautious. The SEC provided detailed guidance in the rule release to minimize company abuse of the flexibility provided. For example, the SEC said that a project can’t be defined as a country, geologic basin or reporting unit.
Tight reporting requirements by the SEC will help to reverse the “resource curse” and the misuse of billions in oil and mining revenues. More than 1.5 billion people live on less than $2 a day in resource-rich countries.
"The communities in resource-rich countries like Ghana rarely share the wealth from oil and mineral extraction and the new requirements will certainly help close the gaps in the current system,” said Hannah Owusu-Koranteng of WACAM, an Oxfam partner working and an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative global board member. “The SEC has finally implemented the law and the project-level disclosure required must provide communities and local officials in Ghana with detailed information on the revenue flowing to government from gold extracted from their lands.”
Owusu-Koranteng added, “We encourage developing countries to enshrine similar requirements."
“Congress spoke two years ago through this bi-partisan measure and now the SEC has done its job by issuing these final rules,” said Offenheiser. “Yesterday’s vote would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of Senators Cardin, Lugar, Leahy and Levin, Rep. Frank and many other Congressional leaders who have pushed the SEC since 2010 to finish the job.“
The information will not only benefit communities in Africa and in mining towns across Latin America and Asia, it will also benefit investors on Wall Street who will now have better information to assess high-risk investments. Companies will also benefit from better relations with local communities next door to their multi-billion dollar investments, creating better operating environments and more secure jobs for Americans. Companies will be required to comply with the new rules for fiscal years ending after September 30, 2013.
“The SEC has examined the facts and given its final word. It’s time for companies to embrace this global wave of transparency which is, in the end, in their own interest,” Offenheiser added. “American companies are not competitive because they make secret payments, but because they bring better technology, competitive fiscal terms, access to capital and efficient business practices. US companies will continue to win deals. No proprietary information will be revealed through payment disclosure and there is much to be gained for companies through transparent practices.”
]]>Almost 12,000 people have contracted the disease across 10 of the country’s 13 districts, with 217 deaths recorded as of August 20th, giving a cholera fatality rate of 1.8 percent, beyond the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) emergency threshold of one percent. The WHO expects that more than 32,000 people are likely to contract cholera during this outbreak.
Oxfam is calling on donor governments and the humanitarian community to increase financial and humanitarian support to the Government of Sierra Leone and its people to assist the supply of clean water and to fund adequate sanitation and hygiene measures, as well as medicine to treat those affected by the escalating crisis. Initial funding requirements were estimated at $5 million, half of which have been met by an allocation from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). However, given the severity of the outbreak, this figure will substantially increase.
Grace Ommer, Country Director of Oxfam in Sierra Leone, said “The cholera outbreak is devastating the lives of vulnerable people such as women and child-headed families, disabled and HIV positive people and the elderly. Cholera is a highly preventable and treatable disease, and yet people are dying across the country due to a lack of safe drinking water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient access to quick and effective medical care. Unless the humanitarian community steps up its response, cholera will continue endanger more lives.”
Oxfam is currently reaching 67,000 people in Freetown through emergency water chlorination and is seeking $4.2 million to help up to 500,000 people with cholera prevention kits, water purification kits and public information campaigns on how to prevent and seek early treatment of cholera. Oxfam will also be supporting local government efforts to respond to the outbreak.
Cholera is a highly-contagious disease that spreads rapidly through areas of poor sanitation, dirty water and overcrowding. The annual raining season in Sierra Leone, from May to October, is usually a time when the risk of cholera increases. However, this year cholera started much early than expected, with the first cases being confirmed in January 2012. Ten years after civil war finished, Sierra Leone is still rebuilding and requires substantial investment in water and sanitation. Only 57 percent of Sierra Leoneans have access to safe drinking water, and only 40 percent have access to a private or shared latrine, leaving the majority of the people vulnerable to water-borne diseases. Sewerage systems are also extremely limited.
“The immediate priority is to ensure that people are able to prevent themselves and their families from contracting cholera, or get rapid treatment when they are affected. However, the country needs to tackle this cyclical nature of cholera. Massive investment in sanitation and water is needed to ensure an outbreak of this magnitude never happens again,” said Ommer.
]]>Oxfam's local partners are reporting a steep increase in forced child recruitment, killing, looting and rape across the two eastern provinces of North and South Kivu due to a security vacuum and a proliferation of armed groups.
Massacres go virtually unnoticed
Rebel groups have taken control of vast swathes of the east, Oxfam said, leaving a terrifying absence of state authority and security. Close to half a million people have fled their homes in the past four months and a humanitarian crisis has descended into “catastrophe”.
As regional leaders meet in Kampala, Uganda to seek a resolution to the conflict at the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region on August 7 and 8, Oxfam says that protection of civilians and a resolution to the regional dimensions of the conflict must be top of the agenda.
“We have reached a new depth of misery in Congo’s conflict when massacres go virtually unnoticed,” said Oxfam’s Associate Country Director Elodie Martel. “Vast swathes of the east have descended into chaos with no government or security presence. People have been abandoned to killing, rape, looting and extortion. They are fleeing for their lives and very little is being done to help.”
Cholera is a real risk
A mutiny within the Government Army in April triggered a new rebellion, M23, in the east and prompted a government offensive around the town of Rutshuru in North Kivu. The focus on M23 has pulled security forces from other fragile areas of the east, leaving opportunistic militia groups battling for control of villages and towns.
Hundreds of people have been killed in attacks against villages in South Kivu, houses burnt and people kidnapped according to local and UN reports. One village in Lubero, North Kivu, has been under control of a notorious rebel group since May with no police, army or government presence. Forced labor is widespread, with a $10 fine for non-cooperation; people face abduction if they denounce abuse according to Oxfam's local partners.
The humanitarian consequences of the conflict are huge, Oxfam said. Cholera is a real risk in displacement camps surrounding Goma and across many areas of the east, while insecurity is making aid delivery to remote and conflict-affected areas extremely difficult. Since January more than 20,000 cases of cholera and 481 deaths have been reported across the country.
Afraid to farm or trade
Movement of people is chaotic, with thousands fleeing on a daily basis, sometimes returning home, hiding for weeks in the forest, staying with neighbors of friends or setting up makeshift shelters in camps. The highly unpredictable conflict means areas are frequently changing hands with rebels and government troops accused of looting homes and harvesting people’s fields as they move from one offensive to the next.
It is the crucial harvest season, but people are too afraid to go to their fields to farm or are displaced far from home and unable to gather their crops say local Oxfam partner organizations. A whole host of rebel groups are stealing crops or enforcing illegal taxes if farmers try to transport their goods to market. In Rutshuru people are being charged $300 for a truck to pass points along the main road and $50 for smaller vans, putting a massive illegal tax on traders and farmers, while shopkeepers in Rutshuru say they are too scared to keep their businesses open in case they are looted.
“The lack of action to stop massacres and abuses against Congolese people is appalling,” said Martel. “The United Nations, the Congolese government, regional governments, the international community – everyone needs to stop the catastrophe in Congo once and for all. We should no longer be calling this a forgotten war. The realities of torture, rebel rule and absolute terror should be etched on every politicians’ mind and top of their agenda.”
]]>The organizations said that some relief supplies are available to respond quickly in the immediate aftermath if there is serious flooding, but urgent funding would be required to ensure assistance reaches those most in need. They called on the government to request support quickly in the event of an emergency and also on donors to support the government and humanitarian community in its response.
“Despite a delayed monsoon this year, the possibility of new floods cannot be ruled out. The international community is prepared to support the Government of Pakistan respond to a floods emergency this year, but it is crucial that a call for international assistance is not delayed if there is large-scale flooding. Without additional funds, humanitarian organizations will struggle to provide the necessary assistance to communities at risk of increased vulnerability from consecutive flooding in the past two years,” says Ms Áine Fay, Pakistan Humanitarian Forum’s (PHF) Chair and Concern Worldwide Country Director.
The humanitarian community supports the government’s efforts in developing and implementing a flood preparedness plan at both provincial and federal levels this year. Saving lives and livelihoods must be at the heart of all preparedness plans and it is vital that an early request for support from the government is issued to minimize the human suffering and to help mobilize resources for an effective response.
In the aftermath of two consecutive flood disasters in 2010 and 2011, hundreds of thousands of people are still struggling to rebuild their lives and earn a living. “While the emergency appeal funds cater to the immediate needs of those affected, it is vital that the government, donors and the international community ensure long-term support to help rehabilitate communities, restore jobs and enable people to get back on their feet,” said Mr Naseer Memon, Executive Committee Member of the National Humanitarian Network (NHN).
This commitment towards long term investment was missing last year as the UN’s Early Recovery Appeal for the 2011 floods remained only ten percent funded while, despite unmet needs, funding and rehabilitation programs phased out gradually after the floods of 2010.
“Pakistan will keep losing traction on development gains if investment in measures to reduce the impact of disasters is not made. We appreciate the government’s commitment to the cause, but it’s high time that policies on paper are implemented across the country to secure lives, dignity, livelihoods and scarce resources,” said Mr Arif Jabbar Khan, Country Director of Oxfam in Pakistan.
According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2011-12, the floods in Sindh and Baluchistan in 2011 caused losses worth $3.4 billion to infrastructure, agriculture, education, health and housing. While reconstruction in the aftermath of the 2010 floods stood at $10 billion, a loss that could have been reduced substantially by implementing disaster mitigation strategies. The World Bank and Asian Development Bank estimate that an investment of just $27 million backed up with yearly top-ups to mitigate disasters could minimize losses substantially.
]]>Baaba Maal joins fellow Oxfam Ambassadors actor Djimon Hounsou and actress Kristin Davis by creating his own personal fundraising page through Oxfam’s ACT FAST program, which is open to anyone wishing to raise funds and awareness to help millions as risk in the Sahel.
“I have traveled with Oxfam to personally see how the food crisis is affecting families in Mauritania and my home country of Senegal. I was shocked by how bad things were. As well as the acute lack of food, we saw children struggling to find water to drink. Everywhere is dry, wells have dried up and dead animals are littered everywhere,” said Baaba Maal.
“Oxfam’s personal fundraising page gives me the opportunity to take action against hunger in the Sahel. My fans worldwide are amazing and generous, and I would be so honored if all those who enjoy my music would help me support families who do not have enough to eat. Drought is inevitable in the Sahel, but hunger is not.”
Money raised will go toward Oxfam’s work across seven countries: Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. More than 18 million people are at risk of hunger in this region. The food crisis, brought about by low rainfall, poor harvest, a lack of pasture, and rising food prices, is only set to escalate. Oxfam is working quickly to respond to urgent survival needs, to help restore livelihoods for farmers and pastoralists, and to protect communities against future food crises.
The region is also dealing with over 385,000 displaced Malians who have been forced to leave their homes as a result of conflict in Northern Mali. More than 200,000 are seeking refuge in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger – countries where communities are already struggling to find enough to eat.
“Families are struggling to find food to eat right now. Without assistance, they will lose their livelihoods and possibly even their lives. It’s easy to turn away from an emergency that seems so far away from your home, but already I am seeing 850,000 of my own countrymen at risk. In this case, we are all neighbors and Oxfam has given us an opportunity to raise money for our brothers and sisters in crisis,” said Baaba Maal.
Supporters can visit www.oxfamamerica.org/baabamaal to contribute to Baaba Maal’s appeal.
]]>During the final hours of the negotiations the United States joined Russia and China to voice their opposition, saying more time was needed to work on finalizing a treaty. Scott Stedjan, Oxfam America’s senior policy advisor made the following statement.
"The White House walked away at a critical moment by failing to move this treaty to conclusion. It is a tremendous loss for thousands of innocent civilians around the globe who die each year from armed violence fueled by the unregulated transfer of arms.”
“In the United States we already have tough regulations governing the trade of weapons—and this Treaty is about leveling the playing field with the many countries around the world that have weak or ineffective regulations, if any at all. The patchwork of laws around the globe allows irresponsible arms brokers to operate in the black holes of the international regulatory system and circumvent the jurisdiction of countries like the United States. These weapons often end up in in enemy and rogue hands, putting US troops at risk every day and threatening our national security."
“This was not going to be a perfect treaty, but the latest draft is workable and consensus is imminent. To not act now threatens final passage."
“The Administration must get this process back on track. Our nation has the opportunity and the responsibility to stand on the right side of history. For the millions of people living in fear and poverty around the world there is no time left to waste.”
Oxfam America now wants to see the momentum lead to presentation of the draft text in the General Assembly, where a majority of two-thirds is required for the treaty to be agreed on.
]]>A robust and effective Arms Trade Treaty would establish international standards to ban all arms transfers that could facilitate genocide, crimes against humanity, and serious war crimes. It will also close the gaps in the current international system of laws by requiring countries to adopt strong laws that would govern the flow of weapons in and out of their borders.
“The end is in sight for a global arms trade treaty but its success depends on the United States,” said Scott Stedjan, senior policy advisor with Oxfam America. “Washington needs to back a strong text to prevent the negotiations from collapsing.”
The call to action comes one day before negotiations conclude on July 27. If the several loopholes are closed in the next 24 hours, the text of the treaty will provide a solid foundation to end to irresponsible and illicit trade of weapons across borders.
“We urge the United States and other arms exporters to work with others, especially those most affected by violence fueled by illicit arms dealing, to provide the leadership and flexibility to reach an agreement by Friday’s deadline,” said Daryl Kimball, Executive Director of the Control Arms Association.
“As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton outlined in remarks this week at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial on preventing the mass slaughter of civilians, there must be a new emphasis on prevention,” stated the letter. “As she said, we can ‘directly pressure those who organize atrocities and cut off the resources they need to continue their violence.’”
The letter encourages President Obama to address the following issues:
Attending the forum were businesses that have specific interests in the new restoration projects, especially dredging, engineering, and construction firms; government agencies that help retrain and locate workers; nonprofits that work in the communities; and conservation organizations that aim to maximize investments in ecosystem restoration projects that protect coastal communities and make them more resilient in the face of hazards.
“The RESTORE Act gives the region a tremendous opportunity to repair and restore the vital and delicate ecosystems that many have relied on for their livelihoods,” said Irit Tamir, Senior Advocacy and Collaborations Advisor for Oxfam. “We see the opportunity to create a whole new market that employs hundreds and thousands of people and injects new life into the communities.”
Oxfam America and The Nature Conservancy presented a new report at the forum entitled “Rebuilding Our Economy, Restoring Our Environment: How the Emerging Restoration Economy Offers New and Expanded Opportunities for Gulf Coast Businesses and Communities.” The report underscores the importance of the Gulf Coast to the country’s environment and economy, and explores the potential of the new restoration economy to employ people, revitalize the economy, and repair vital ecosystems.
"It was tremendously exciting to gather these people from such different arenas, to see how they could assist each other in embarking on new enterprises that benefit the environment and economy of the Gulf Coast,” said Cindy Brown, Gulf of Mexico Program Director for The Nature Conservancy.
"The business community has always been a tremendous supporter of coastal restoration in our area,” noted Simone Maloz, Executive Director of Restore or Retreat, a regional coastal advocacy group based in Thibodaux, and host of the forum. “We are pleased to be able to give back in a small way by hosting this forum and providing information about the ways that coastal restoration can help local businesses grow and maximize their investments in this restoration economy.”
The joint report notes that an investment of $1 million dollars in a restoration project generates from 17 to 36 jobs. “That’s a tremendous return on investment,” said Scott Kirkpatrick, President of the Coast Builders Coalition. “And we have further proof that these are good jobs that pay wages that can sustain families. Business owners are invested in the health of our communities, and are eager to use the local workforce where practical.”
“In order for businesses to enter new markets such as the construction of oyster reefs, the flow of funding for ecosystem restoration and management cannot be intermittent or cyclic,” said Dr. Sherwood “Woody” Gagliano, CEO of Coastal Environments, Inc. who presented at the forum. “With the passage of the RESTORE Act, there is an opportunity for long-term, meaningful investment in projects that will not only provide significant benefits to the environment, but also to local workers, businesses, and communities.”
“This is a moment of incredible opportunity,” said Patrick Barnes, President of BFA Environmental and founder of Limitless Vistas, a nonprofit organization preparing New Orleans area disadvantaged youths for environmental jobs. “The money from the oil spill fines gives us a real chance to make things right in the community and in the environment. We can retrain the folks who were displaced, and employ them in repairing the damage. If the game plan to repair the environmental harm does not include making the impacted communities whole through training and real job opportunities, then we would have failed. These projects must help to revitalize the local economy and the life of these communities as they adapt to these challenges.”
]]>The landmark law, known as Section 1504 or the Cardin-Lugar provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, requires companies filing reports with the SEC to disclose taxes, royalties and other payments related to the exploration and extraction of oil, gas and minerals in every country of operation. The required information, which includes project-level payment information, will arm watchdog groups, citizens and journalists in resource-rich countries with crucial information they can use to help hold governments accountable. The reports will also help investors assess the risks companies face.
“In too many countries around the world, oil and mineral wealth is squandered through government mismanagement and corruption instead of being invested in health, education and agriculture,” said Ian Gary, senior policy manager of Oxfam America’s oil, gas and mining program. “There’s no time left to waste. The SEC should not give in to industry pressure to water down the rules.”
Transparency advocates won the battle two years ago to get the law on the books, but the fight continues with the SEC, which has missed the statutory deadline to issue final rules needed to bring Section 1504 into effect by more than a year. To compel the agency to follow the law, Oxfam America filed a lawsuit against the SEC in May. The SEC responded to the lawsuit in a court filing on July 26.
“The SEC has told the public the meeting for the vote is scheduled for August 22 and is now using this scheduled vote as its principal excuse to the court. The August 22 date must not slip,” said Gary. “It’s time for the SEC to bring this fight to an end and follow the letter of the law.”
Yesterday, Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) joined Arlene McCarthy, a leading Member of the European Parliament, on Capitol Hill to call for strong and swift action by the SEC. The European Parliament is working with the European Commission and European Council to complete a similar mandatory requirement for listed and large privately-held extractive companies in Europe.
“We’ve acted and the SEC is our implementing arm and they are required to follow the law passed by Congress,” Senator Cardin said. “Read the law. It’s simple. There is no ambiguity and I don’t think the SEC has a lot of discretion.”
Many Members of Congress, Oxfam and campaigners with Publish What You Pay USA have urged that the final rule should allow no exemptions and should define the project-level reporting requirement included in the law as payments made at the lease, license or contract level in host countries. MEP McCarthy emphasized in meetings with SEC Commissioners Walter and Aguilar that a majority in the relevant committee supports project level reporting and that they will not accept proposals from industry to create exemptions for alleged laws in host countries prohibiting disclosures.
“We are not prepared to create exemptions when we have no evidence that the problem exists… I told the SEC that we want a strong rule from the SEC and that this will help us in Europe. We won’t accept industry to play off two jurisdictions to weaken rules,” McCarthy said.
“Transparency is essential to good governance wherever you live on the globe. The US shares a commitment with our EU partners to support local citizens and level the playing field for all companies by harmonizing requirements to decrease corruption through greater transparency in resource-rich countries,” said Senator Cardin “Two years after passage of the US law that includes project-by-project reporting, with no exemptions, we look forward to completion of the SEC rule on August 22. This final information will be critical to ensuring that the EU has the information it needs to write its own rules.”
]]>
The warning came as the UN increased the amount of money being sought for its Yemen appeal in response to mounting needs. The appeal increased from $447 million to $591 million. It is just 42 percent funded. Some 10 million people – 44 percent of the population of Yemen – do not have enough food to eat. The UN estimates that 267,000 Yemeni children are facing life threatening levels of malnutrition.
Yemen is now in the midst of its hunger season, before the next harvest in October. The start of Ramadan is also pushing up prices in markets. For example, sugar and wheat prices have increased by 21 percent and 42 percent in rural areas compared to prices last month. The aid organizations called on more donors to fund the aid response, warning that failing to help people quickly could cost lives now and have serious consequences for Yemen for decades to come.
Hashem Awnallah, Islamic Relief’s Country Director in Yemen, said:
“One in three children under five in Al Hodeidah is acutely malnourished – double the level that constitutes an emergency in UN terms. Children are being taken out of school to work, and an increase in early marriage has been reported. As well as being dangerous for children’s health, this crisis could rob children of a decent future and lead them to poverty, alienation and unrest.”
The organizations said although $4 billion was pledged at the Friends of Yemen meeting in May, where world leaders met to discuss the country’s future, it is unclear when this money will arrive in Yemen and how this money will be spent. The organizations said donors needed to respond to humanitarian needs immediately and stressed that they should look beyond food aid. There is food available in markets in Yemen, but people cannot afford to buy it. The organizations said that donors can help poor Yemeni families by ensuring that they have the cash they need to purchase food.
However, American women report feeling disconnected from the people that produce their food and say they don’t have enough information about how their food choices affect people and the planet. To help answer these questions Oxfam’s GROW campaign is launching a new Facebook app and Pinterest cookbook to promote Oxfam’s GROW Method which offers 5 easy steps for moms -and everyone else- to feed their families in ways that help ensure everyone has enough to eat.
“In most homes in America and around the world it is women who put food on the table,” said Vicky Rateau Campaign Manager for Oxfam America’s GROW campaign. “This puts women in a uniquely powerful position to kick start the transformation of our broken food system with tiny changes in the way we enjoy our food.”
Mothers are crucial to helping everyone get enough to eat because they make the majority of food buying decisions. Women control around $15 trillion or 65 percent of the world’s annual consumer spending. Twice as many women cook as men and globally, women spend four times as long preparing, cooking and cleaning up after meals. Oxfam’s GROW Method emphasizes the power women have to catalyze change and suggests five simple steps for feeding their families healthy, delicious meals that will put the global food system on the road to recovery:
“Change begins at the dinner table,” said Rateau. “Women across America and around the world are concerned about the way food is produced and the people who produce it and want to know what they can do to make a difference.”
The survey of over 5,100 moms living in cities and towns in Brazil, India, Philippines, UK, USA and Spain shows that women in the US and other countries are eager to learn how they can help make a difference through the food choices they make.
Mom’s say they don’t have enough information:
But they care about their choices and want to know how to make a difference:
And they are open to the steps recommended by the GROW Method
“If enough women make even the tiniest of changes, the reverberations will be felt throughout the food chain,” said Rateau. “Governments and the global companies that wield the strings to our broken food system will be forced to change the way they do business.”
\ENDS
Notes to editors
To read the full report: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/files/the-food-transformation/view
Link to Facebook app: https://www.facebook.com/oxfamamerica/app_364544693615521
Link to Pinterest cookbook: http://pinterest.com/oxfamgrowmethod/
Link to the GROW Method: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/growmethod
]]>In a joint letter sent by Oxfam and Amnesty International to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, the artists urge governments to deliver a strong treaty that will save lives. The letter was also signed by Paul Conroy, the British war photographer injured in the mortar attack that killed London Sunday Times reporter Marie Colvin and French photo journalist Remi Ochlik in Syria, earlier this year (see full list of signatories below).
“Under the current system, there are less global controls on the sales of ammunition and guns than on bananas and bottled water,” the letter states.
“As supporters of Oxfam and Amnesty International, we urge governments to step forward and deliver a robust, effective treaty that protects human rights. A treaty that puts a stop to the needless deaths and injuries which occur every day as a result of armed violence and conflict. The decisions taken around this treaty really are a matter of life and death,” continues the letter.
The deadly and poorly regulated trade in arms leads to serious human rights abuses, armed violence, conflict, poverty and organized crime around the world. The lack of clear binding principles governing decisions on international arms transfers combined with patchy diverse and poorly implemented national regulations are inadequate to deal with the increasingly globalised nature of the arms trade. As a result, irresponsible users are allowed to violate international humanitarian and human rights law.
"In Colombia, for decades civilians have been victims of armed conflict. Displacement and violence are everyday occurrences,” said the members of Colombian rock band Aterciopelados who signed the letter. "The ceaseless flow of arms fuels this terrible reality. But this isn't just the story of our country. It's vital that leaders implement a strong Arms Trade Treaty. It is urgently needed that they control arms to protect human rights."
"This impressive range of public figures from many walks of life urging governments to sign-up to a robust treaty this month underlines the importance of the treaty negotiations,” said Anna Macdonald, Oxfam’s head of Control Arms. "This is a critical moment. The world has never before agreed to have a set of international rules on the arms trade. This is a chance of a lifetime, a chance of a generation, to make a difference by stopping the trade flows of arms going into the wrong hands. "
An effective arms trade treaty needs a "Golden Rule:" if there is a substantial risk that arms exported to another country are likely to be used for serious human rights abuses, violations of international humanitarian law, or to undermine sustainable development, those arms supplies must be stopped.
"These are big voices echoing a global civil society message to world leaders that is clear: seize this historic opportunity to agree a Golden Rule to make a strong arms trade treaty that can stamp out irresponsible arms trading, stop shattering the lives of millions and help protect everyone's human rights," said Brian Wood, Amnesty International's manager of Arms Control, Security Trade and Human Rights.
Notes to Editors:
The letter is available here.
The full list of signatories includes:
Gillian Anderson Actor, USA.
Los Aterciopelados Musicians, Colombia.
Harry Belafonte Singer, songwriter, actor and social activist, USA.
Gael Garcia Bernal Actor, Mexico.
Paul Bettany Actor, UK.
Jane Birkin Actor/Singer, UK.
Miguel Bose Singer, Spain.
Rahul Bose Actor, India.
Helena Christensen Photographer and model, Denmark.
Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion Members of Coldplay – Rock band, UK.
Jennifer Connelly Actor, USA.
Paul Conroy War photographer, UK.
Sophie Dahl Writer and model, UK.
Kristin Davis Actor, USA.
Andrea Echiverri Musician, singer and guitarist, Colombia.
Los Fabulosos Cadillacs Musicians, Argentina.
Livia Firth Film Producer and Eco-Age Creative Director, UK.
Anjelica Huston Actor, USA.
Eddie Izzard Comedian, actor and writer, UK.
Bianca Jagger Chair of Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, UK.
Emmanuel Jal Musician and activist, South Sudan
Scarlett Johansson Actor, USA.
Angelique Kidjo Singer, Benin.
Keira Knightley Actor, UK.
Annie Lennox Singer/songwriter, UK.
Baaba Maal Singer/musician, Senegal.
Bill Nighy Actor, UK.
Yoko Ono Artist, author and peace activist, Japan.
Emma Pooley Olympic cyclist, UK.
Tim Roth Actor and director, UK.
Kevin Spacey Actor, director and producer, US.
Dave Stewart Musician and record producer, UK.
Imelda Staunton Actor, UK.
Vivienne Westwood Fashion designer, UK
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Dadaab’s population increased by a third in the past year to over 465,000 people, and the needs in the camp are greater than ever before. Yet as global attention has shifted, funding for the camp has not kept pace. The impact of the funding shortfall is already being felt by refugees across Dadaab and will get worse over the coming months:
130,000 refugees will soon be without adequate shelter, living in temporary tents that are quickly destroyed by the harsh climate. At the moment 30,000 new shelters are needed, yet funding is only available for 4,000.
From September 2012, the supply of new water and sanitation services to 50,000 refugees is in danger. Without the only source of safe water and new latrines, the threat of cholera is greatly increased.
Health services are overcrowded and under-equipped. In the Hagadera camp in Dadaab, two health units serve the needs of 78,000 people – quadruple the minimum emergency standard of 1 unit per 10,000 people. From October 2012, funding shortfalls mean there will be no community health workers in Hagadera camp.
164,000 children – over 70 percent of those in Dadaab – are currently out of school. Lack of education and employment opportunities increases the potential for disenfranchised youth to be recruited into militia and banditry. Education is vital to equip refugees to contribute to the reconstruction, peace and stability of their home country and the wider region. Children who do go to school attend classes of over 100 pupils and only one in five teachers have formal training.
Twenty percent of families in Dadaab face threats, harassment and discrimination. Women and children face sexual violence while collecting firewood or walking long distances to use poorly-lit latrines. Reports of sexual violence increased by 36 percent between February and May 2012. Yet funding for protection programmes has decreased, and there are not enough trained staff to provide psychosocial care. Refugees without proper shelter are particularly vulnerable.
“The funding shortfall means people who have fled unimaginable suffering are not getting the care they need. As well as the human cost, there is also a cost to security in the region. If children are not going to school and if people do not have proper shelter and other services, this has the potential to fuel further insecurity,” said Stephen Vaughan, head of CARE Kenya.
Dadaab has been in existence for 20 years, and last year’s influx saw 160,000 Somalis arrive into the already severely overcrowded camps.
“Refugee camps are only temporary solutions and the situation is increasingly untenable. Funds are needed now to save lives, but we can’t keep pumping money in year after year while the camp keeps getting bigger. A change in approach is urgently needed. However, right now, the world has an obligation not to turn its back on Dadaab and the needs of the people there,” said Nigel Tricks, head of Oxfam in Kenya.
The agencies called for a durable and peaceful solution in Somalia, so that refugees feel able to return home. The agencies also called for a long-term vision that creates employment and infrastructure to remove refugees’ dependence on short-term aid. With insecurity in the camp restricting access for aid agencies, more investment is needed to build the skills and capacity of refugee communities and local organizations to deliver services.
“Humanitarian workers in Dadaab have been working to full capacity under extremely difficult circumstances for the past year. We are committed to providing quality health care here, and supporting the protection of women and girls, but because of the funding shortfall it is likely that some basic services will be cut, leaving refugees more vulnerable,” said Kellie Leeson, Deputy Regional Director of the International Rescue Committee.
Notes to editors
The agencies signing the statement are: CARE, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), International Rescue Committee (IRC), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Oxfam, and Terre des Hommes (TdH)
The $25m figure is calculated from the combined current funding shortages for the eight signatory agencies. This does not cover other work in Dadaab. Costs of operating in Dadaab continue to change, and any further deterioration in security or influx of new arrivals could increase costs further.
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