Research

Salt in the Wound

mhart — 2012-12-13T19:38:40Z

As the third anniversary of the January 2010 earthquake, which brought so much destruction to Haiti, approaches, this briefing note highlights the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Haitians still living in camps and still without adequate housing. Against this backdrop, displaced Haitians now face persistent and worsening threats of, often violent, eviction from landowners eager to get their land back. It is vital that national and international attention be brought to bear on this serious problem, so that the rights of displaced people can be properly protected.

The role of local institutions in adaptive processes to climate variability

akramer — 2013-02-13T17:43:56Z

Farmers and herders in arid regions of Africa face serious challenges in adapting to climate change and variability. They are highly exposed to climate stresses, especially drought, but adaptation to climate change is far from being a clear-cut biophysical or technical problem: it is also a social challenge. Although communities in semi-arid zones have organized their cultures and livelihoods around uncertainty and the risk of drought, climate predictions indicate that new extremes will be a real challenge to their capacity to adapt. This report looks at local social institutions in Ethiopia and Mali and their role in adaptation.

Six months into the floods

mhart — 2011-01-25T14:43:32Z

The monsoon floods that began in Pakistan in July 2010 caused a colossal disaster. Thanks to the collective efforts of the Pakistani Government, UN agencies, international NGOs, and local relief organisations, the response has achieved major successes and seen millions of Pakistanis receive vital emergency relief. However, the disaster is not over and many people still need humanitarian assistance. Ongoing emergency relief is just the first step in rebuilding devastated communities. A nationally-led, pro-poor reconstruction programme is needed now to create a path of sustainable development leading to a fairer and more disaster-resilient Pakistan.

Land and Power

bgrossmancohen — 2011-11-30T15:52:54Z

The new wave of land deals is not the new investment in agriculture that millions had been waiting for. The poorest people are being hardest hit as competition for land intensifies. Oxfam’s research has revealed that residents regularly lose out to local elites and domestic or foreign investors because they lack the power to claim their rights effectively and to defend and advance their interests. Companies and governments must take urgent steps to improve land rights outcomes for people living in poverty.Power relations between investors and local communities must also change if investment is to contribute to rather than undermine the food security and livelihoods of local communities.

Ready or Not

Oxfam America — 2011-07-29T13:41:51Z

The floods that hit Pakistan in 2010 were the worst in the country’s history. The humanitarian response achieved remarkable successes in minimizing the immediate loss of life and providing relief to millions of people. However, it could have been better: more than 800,000 families remain without permanent shelter and more than a million people remain in need of food assistance. These unmet needs must be addressed as a matter of urgency.

As Pakistan faces another monsoon season and the likelihood of more disasters, the country is not prepared. Many factors which have hampered the relief and reconstruction effort are still present, such as an inadequate disaster management system and a lack of emergency relief co-ordination and leadership. These institutional challenges must be resolved as soon as possible. The government and donors need to invest heavily in measures to reduce disaster risks such as better early warning systems, flood control, and more resilient housing. They should also tackle the underlying social inequalities which leave people vulnerable to disasters through a pro-poor national development plan. Spending on risk reduction and preparedness not only saves lives and livelihoods but hugely reduces the economic impact of disasters.

Calling the shots under country ownership

kfield — 2011-09-01T14:15:16Z

At the heart of many of USAID’s current aid reforms is country ownership—the idea that countries and people develop themselves, with local leaders from government and civil society directing the development process. The US can best support local leadership when US decision-making happens in country at the Mission level, rather than in Washington.

Saving lives, seeking solutions

aperera — 2011-08-15T16:16:32Z

In August 2008 Oxfam America undertook a two-year campaign to stand by some of Ethiopia’s hardest-hit farmers and herders as they wrestled with the consequences of increasingly erratic weather and strove to change their lives in ways they hope will ensure a better future. This work was accomplished with generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ELMA Relief Foundation.

Capacity: Helping countries lead

cengstrom — 2012-05-05T00:08:41Z

Oxfam America believes donors should provide aid in ways that strengthen the compact between effective governments and active citizens. Aid delivered in these ways supports recipient governments’ efforts to meet the needs of their citizens and helps citizens hold their government accountable. To assist foreign aid in strengthening the state-citizen compact, Oxfam is calling for reforms that let countries know what donors are doing (information), support countries’ own efforts to manage development (capacity), and better respond to country priorities (control).

Donors cannot build local capacity themselves. The capacity of any public sector or civil society depends first and foremost on the incentives for and commitments by people in those countries to invest in their human capital, organizations, and institutions. What donors can do is support these efforts.

Measuring the right results

Porter McConnell — 2009-07-22T17:46:45Z

Senate appropriators are calling for severe cuts in funding for the MCC, despite a record of delivering tangible results since 2004.

The Humanitarian Response Index: Where we stand

Porter McConnell — 2009-07-22T17:46:28Z

Just how effective is US humanitarian aid?

When developing countries lead, will the US follow?

Porter McConnell — 2009-07-22T17:46:03Z

A new Web site in Mozambique is attempting to address the problem of donor transparency.

"D" is for Different: Why diplomacy and development are not the same, and why it matters

Mary Marchal — 2009-07-22T17:44:58Z

Although they often coincide, protecting US interests overseas does not always mean fighting poverty.

Investing in Poor Farmers Pays

mborum — 2009-07-01T22:37:08Z

Decades of faltering public commitment to investing in agriculture has hindered farmers' ability to cope with price volatility, climatic and economic shocks, or to pull themselves out of poverty. Yet donors and governments must see investing in agriculture as part of the long-term solution to the food, financial, and climate crises. Global agricultural growth and rural livelihoods cannot be improved nor poverty reduced without renewed public commitment to invest more, and more wisely in agriculture. Investments must include the forgotten poor people who live in marginalized areas, be context specific, demand-driven, participatory, and promote sustainable rural livelihoods through environmentally sustainable and empowering practices that treat men's and women's needs equitably.

Field report from Cambodia

mborum — 2009-06-24T19:35:11Z

Oxfam America went to Cambodia to meet those working with US development dollars to understand the impact of those dollars on the ground. In this report, we present reflections from 40 interviews in October 2008 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) country mission, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC), multilateral and bilateral donors, international and Cambodian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), contractors, research institutions, and various community members.

A Billion Hungry People

mborum — 2009-04-30T22:09:08Z

High food prices have brought into sharp focus an existing global food crisis that affects almost one billion people. Lasting solutions to the problem include adequate investment in agriculture, fairer trade, the redistribution of resources, and action on climate change. But hungry people cannot be fed on the hope of long-term solutions. Governments, supported by aid agencies and donors, must act now to provide systematic emergency assistance and longer-term support to those in need, and to better protect people in chronic poverty against shocks such as drought, floods, and market volatility.