"Delay is not an option. The international community must provide support and assistance to the new coalition government,? said Charles Abani, Regional Director for of Oxfam in Southern Africa. ?Assistance must be carefully coordinated and managed, so that very weak state institutions are not overstretched. Zimbabwean civil society must also be included in a transparent process.?
Ordinary Zimbabweans are desperately short of food, health care, clean water and safe sanitation. The little food that is available is unaffordable to most. An estimated 3.8 million people are anticipated to be in urgent need of food assistance by October. Life expectancy for women is just 35 years, and unemployment stands at 85 per cent.
Investment in agriculture is key. Farmers need fertilizers and seeds urgently, so that they can prepare for the November planting season.
"The international community must not just throw money at this problem then walk away and say 'job done'. Zimbabwe needs a long-term plan, built on partnership and shared responsibilities, and supported by long-term, predictable aid from international governments,? said Abani.
?It is also important that the Zimbabwe government meets its commitments to rebuilding the nation. The coalition government must show leadership in the rebuilding process if international support is to succeed. They should ensure equitable and effective access to humanitarian assistance, extend the operational space for all civil society organizations, and deal quickly with outstanding registration issues for NGOs,? Abani added.
?Many local and international organizations who want to get back to helping poor people in Zimbabwe are still unable to do so because their registration status is pending. We urge the new government to facilitate the registration process in the interest of Zimbabweans in need of assistance.?
]]>In a new report, If Not Now, When?, international relief and development agency Oxfam says that people living in poverty will be hit hard by the financial crisis unless urgent action is taken, adding that the poor should not have to pay for rich countries? mistakes.
"Poor people had little to do with creating the crisis, but will carry the heaviest burden, whether it is families evicted from their homes in Detroit, or children dying in Mali for want of basic medical care," said Oxfam spokesperson Gawain Kripke.
The International Labor Organization estimates the number of workers living on less than one dollar a day may increase by 40 million and those living on less than two dollars a day could increase by more than 100 million. All of this while poor countries are still reeling from the impact of food and oil price increases, and increasing droughts, floods and other climate-related weather shocks. Grain-price increases cost developing economies $324 billion last year—more than three times what they received in aid.
"There is a risk that recessions in rich countries will lead politicians to take the short-sighted approach of cutting aid. Given the tiny amounts of money involved compared to rich country economies, this would do little more than offer symbolic budget savings, but at huge human cost," said Kripke. "Aid to all developing countries last year was $104 billion. In comparison the US and EU mobilized nearly 30 times this—around $3 trillion—in the last few months to help bail out their banks."
"Rich countries made promises and must keep them. But their work cannot end there—aid is not the whole answer," said Kripke. "We cannot repeat what happened around the Asian financial crisis, where no substantial reform was agreed. To prevent future crises and protect the poor over the long term, leaders must seize this opportunity to rewrite the rules to curb instability and make the market work for all, not just a few at the top of the economic food chain."
In If Not Now, When?, Oxfam says that global leaders should immediately develop a new international regulatory institution with teeth, to prevent future financial crises and protect the interests of workers, consumers, and the environment. This includes taking on the secretive tax havens which undermine regulations and rob poor countries' of vital revenue that could be spent on schools and hospitals. It also calls for leaders to build a new representative global governance structure to tackle the economic, climate, food and energy crises.
"We're dealing with a whole new world—the G20 is facing a seismic shift in global power," said Kripke. "It's painfully clear that the world's multilateral institutions are out of date and ill-equipped to deal with the multiple crises that are now upon us, whether related to finance, food, fuel or climate. Reform must include far greater roles for developing countries as well as the poorest. Rich countries are going to have to concede some power on governing bodies like the G20 because they are desperate to get their hands on the huge financial reserves held by emerging markets."
Oxfam urges global leaders to see the opportunity to develop a new 21st century political and economic system that puts people and planet before profits. Oxfam calls on the G20 leaders to do three things:
"Just last week the world witnessed a massive political shift in the US," said Kripke. "World leaders meeting this weekend should harness this momentum and commit to a way forward on finding serious, long-term solutions to financial instability and the global economic downturn that work for all."
]]>“The Bush Administration must do all that it can to support President Kabila in his efforts to address the longstanding conflict which is once again threatening the lives and safety of hundreds of thousands of civilians,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America.
“The Administration must continue its crucial mediation role to ensure that the legitimate concerns of Congolese citizens are addressed. Both Presidents must make it clear that they will not allow the progress made over the past few years to be jeopardized by renewed fighting,” said Offenheiser.
The election of President Kabila in 2006 brought hopes of peace and stability after decades of misrule and a civil war which claimed the lives of approximately four million civilians and led to the displacement of over one million people. Despite the success of the elections, the continued fighting in the east between rebel groups and government forces is a threat to the tenuous peace in the DRC—one of the world’s poorest countries. The DRC ranks 141st out of 174 countries in the United Nation’s human development ranking.
Since last December, the intense fighting has forced over 370,000 people to leave their homes in the eastern region of North Kivu, the largest surge of internal displacement since the formal end of the civil war in 2003. Unlike displacements in the past, the scale of the latest influx is too great for the displaced to be accommodated by local families.
Meanwhile, increased fighting and insecurity have also severely limited the ability of humanitarian agencies like Oxfam to deliver vital aid to civilians in need.
As the conflict intensifies, growing numbers of civilians are placed in imminent physical danger and serious violations of international humanitarian law continue. These include the recruitment of children by rebel forces, the reported use of forced labor by the national army, and an epidemic of violence against women that is among the worst in the world. A 2004 survey found mortality rates in some parts of the country to be close to 3 times the sub-Saharan average, partly from ongoing conflict but also due to disease, malnutrition, and lack of very basic social services.
In the face of the worsening security and humanitarian situation in DRC, Oxfam also called on the US government to maintain its support for a robust UN military presence while increasing its funding and technical assistance to the reform of Congo’s military forces. Tasked with the mandate to protect civilians, the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC (MONUC), receives one third of its operating budget from the US government. With the mission’s funding up for renewal in December, it is crucial that President Bush pledges to continue his administration’s support.
“Without a substantial and effective MONUC presence, the DRC’s fragile peace could quickly unravel completely, further threatening not only the Congolese people but also the wider region. Until the DRC’s police, military, and judiciary are able to effectively enforce the law and protect civilians, US support for both the mandate and operations of the UN peacekeeping mission there is absolutely vital,” said Offenheiser.
]]>"We at Oxfam join housing advocates across the Gulf Coast region in commending the House for its bi-partisan vote,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “This milestone legislation takes steps to help ensure the most vulnerable survivors are not left behind in the region’s recovery. We urge the Senate to follow suit and prioritize swift passage of the Housing Recovery Act to help Gulf Coast residents who have already waited too long.”
Housing advocates throughout the Gulf Coast region celebrated a major victory yesterday, having played a key role in bringing the continuing housing crisis in the Gulf to federal lawmakers’ attention.
“Groups on the coast rallied in favor of this bill because we know what a difference it could make in steering the recovery in a more equitable direction. We are grateful to the congressional representatives who heard our voices and voted to support this”, said Natalie Presley of Mississippi’s Back Bay Mission. “We call on the Senate to follow the example of the House and pass this legislation swiftly.”
In early March, Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee Chair Rep. Maxine Waters (D. - CA) and other members visited Gulfport, MS and New Orleans, LA to learn more about the rebuilding challenges faced by Coast residents. The Committee heard testimony from a host of community advocates, including members of the Mississippi Steps Coalition (an alliance of organizations serving hurricane survivors), as well as from elected officials such as Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.
Upon their return to Washington, Waters and the House Financial Services Committee moved rapidly to craft a bill responsive to the needs identified by Gulf Coast residents. The new legislation includes measures that will protect rights of public housing residents—including the right to return—and restore some rental housing for disabled, homeless, and the elderly. Importantly, it also increases oversight over hurricane recovery spending in Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, requiring regular progress reports from the states and initiating a GAO study.
Phone calls and letters to elected officials poured in from throughout the Gulf Coast to express support for the bill and a few strategic amendments. A last minute push by members of the Steps Coalition helped solidify support for an important amendment offered by Texas Congressman Al Green to extend FEMA trailers and disaster vouchers through the end of 2007. Residents who are eligible for Section 8 assistance, either in trailers or apartments, can transition to a Section 8 apartment after the deadline is up.
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