Oxfam America http://www.oxfamamerica.org These are the search results for the query, showing results 81 to 85. Haiti no longer grows much of its own rice http://www.oxfamamerica.org/articles/haiti-no-longer-grows-much-of-its-own-rice Once almost self-sufficient, Haiti now imports 80 percent of the rice it consumes. A dramatic cut in import tariffs led to a drop in national rice production. Judith Alexandre, a single mother, lives with her two children in Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and like a lot of other families there they have only one choice when it comes to managing the dramatic increase in food prices: They skip meals.

Breakfast is no longer part of her children's morning routine. Alexandre can't afford it. Most of what she earns as a street vendor in the Carrefour-Feuilles district of Port-au-Prince she was already spending on food for her family. But the steep rise in the cost of rice, a Haitian staple, is pricing Alexandre and her family out of regular meals.

Less than 20 years ago, the country was nearly self-sufficient when it came to rice production. But in 1995, when the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund pressured Haiti to cut import tariffs on rice from 50 percent to 3 percent, cheap subsidized rice from the US began to flood into the country. Urban consumers benefited for a while from the low-cost imports, but they caused national rice production to plummet. Today, Haiti is now importing 80 percent of the rice it consumes—just as world prices have doubled.

More than half the country's population is malnourished, and more than 80 percent of the rural population lives below the poverty line. Rising prices provoked riots in several Haitian cities earlier this spring and forced the resignation of the country's prime minister.

"If people are hungry, they have no stake in stability," said Hedi Annabi, the UN special representative in Haiti. "They will be ready for anything--for anarchy--because they have nothing to safeguard or to fight for."

While the entire country is affected, cities--where 40 percent of the populations lives--are especially hard hit.

Agriculture, which employs more than 60 percent of the Haitian workforce, is one of the areas most affected by trade liberalization policies. An estimated 830,000 jobs in Haiti have been lost in recent years, primarily in agriculture.

What is Oxfam doing?

In the capital, Port-au-Prince and the town of Jacmel in the southeast, Oxfam is helping families hardest hit by the rising food prices. Working through local partners, Oxfam is supporting subsidized community restaurants, school canteens, and helping parents pay off debts to schools. Cash-for-work community clean up activities are also planned for several neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince.

In rural areas in the north of the country, Oxfam is organizing a cash-for-work canal cleaning project, improving and diversifying crops and vegetables, and improving market links for small farmers.

It is through the community restaurant that Alexandre has found some relief from her hardship.

"I am the sole provider for my children," she said. "Their father dies a year ago and now I am alone. If he was here, it would be much easier to manage."

For just 13 cents, Alexandre and her children can now buy a daily subsidized hot meal at one of eight community restaurants supported by Oxfam.

"It's unthinkable that I would be able to buy a meal for my kids for 5 gourdes (13 cents)," says Alexandre, smiling. "It means that every day I have been able to save a little bit of money for other things. Now not all of my money must go on buying food."

Run by a local organization, the restaurants provide immediate relief to those families hit hardest by rising food prices. They are open from 10 a.m. to noon four days a week, and serve up to 200 meals a day, ranging from cornmeal and fish to bouillion, a hearty Haitian vegetable stew.

]]> No publisher Oxfam America Caribbean Haiti food security global food crisis hunger 2010-02-01T14:43:35Z Feature Story Oxfam in Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/oxfam-in-central-america-mexico-and-the-caribbean All across this diverse and beautiful territory, new faces of leadership are emerging. Women, rural communities, and small farmers are adding their voices to the political dialogue, calling on their governments: Hear us now. Half the population of Central America lives in poverty. The chronically poor—women, small farmers, and those in rural communities—lack the access to government services, economic opportunity, and basic rights that could enable a secure existence. Since the 1980s, Oxfam America has supported promising community-driven organizations, helping their leaders and members develop skills and resources—and a voice to achieve their visions for a fairer, more prosperous future for all.

]]> No publisher Oxfam America community finance coffee oil, gas and mining Caribbean aid reform Cuba Central America climate change HIV-AIDS water trade Mexico El Salvador Guatemala natural resources disaster risk reduction Honduras Haiti Nicaragua equality for women 2009-06-24T19:40:06Z Brochure OXFAMExchange Fall 2004 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/fall-2004 Troubled Waters: Focus on Oxfam's water and sanitation work Today, more than one billion people worldwide lack access to a safe water supply—and that number is growing rapidly. This is an issue that concerns all of us, for we all rely on water to stay alive. But it is an issue of particular immediacy for those who live and work in rural areas, where water is used not just for drinking and sanitation, but also for irrigating fields, putting fish on the table, and generating income. When water supplies are threatened, rural communities are often the most affected—and have the most to lose.

From flooding in Haiti to drought in Ethiopia, water has long been central to Oxfam's work. Our emergency water systems are a hallmark of our agency. And our efforts to help communities access water for farming and fishing enable people to realize security.

But in recent decades, some extraordinary water pressures have emerged, as water resources are being swallowed up by dams, mining, and other commercial projects. The result is that, for the villages along the rivers, in the watersheds, and on the floodplains of East Asia being swamped or dried up by dams…for the indigenous people and farmers of South America whose rivers, lakes, and wells have been destroyed by mining…water is quickly becoming a major issue—and a major issue for Oxfam.

]]> No publisher mborum Horn of Africa Caribbean Chad Sudan Darfur water Ethiopia humanitarian relief Haiti Iraq 2009-04-30T19:55:30Z Oxfam Exchange OXFAMExchange Spring 2004 http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/spring-2004 Engendering an Equitable Society: Focus on Women's Rights When it comes to fostering lasting change, investing in women makes a lot of sense.

In any society, developing or not, women are likely to be poorer, less educated, and less empowered than men. Oxfam recognizes women should be valued equally and enabled to reach their potential. What’s more, research has shown that when women earn income, they are more likely than men to spend it on family welfare. And when women are educated, they make decisions that benefit their families and influence their communities.

In the pages that follow, you'll read about how Oxfam is targeting the laws in Mozambique and the gender violence in El Salvador that severely disadvantage women. You'll also learn how Oxfam is equipping women to mediate peace in West Africa and to grow the income of their families. In every case, when it comes to empowering women, men are an equal part of the equation. Oxfam is striving to shape societies that not only permit women to be contributors, but societies that recognize that if they don't seize upon what women can offer, they are failing to leverage one of their most valuable assets.

]]> No publisher rbaker human rights Caribbean equality for women Southern Africa Central America violence Central and East Africa community finance El Salvador Senegal Mozambique humanitarian relief West Africa Mali Haiti peace and security women 2009-04-30T20:06:03Z Oxfam Exchange Tropical Storm Hanna unleashes on Haiti http://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/pressreleases/tropical-storm-hanna-unleashes-on-haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE — As the efforts focused on responding to the needs of those affected by Hurricane Gustav, Tropical Storm Hanna descended on Haiti from the North, unloading massive amounts of rain to the already water-saturated country. This is the third storm to hit the country in 3 weeks. Oxfam International is preparing its first response of 500 non-food item kits and 1,000 5-gallon bottles of drinking water to be distributed to families in Gonaives over the weekend.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that some 650,000 people nation-wide have been affected by the storm.

More than 61 people are reported to have died, the majority in the town of Gona�ves, where more than 11,000 people have sought refuge in temporary shelters. Shelters are also filling up in the town of Ennery just north of Gonaives. Food, water, and basic supplies are scarce, and health and sanitation conditions are extremely worrisome as human waste is being disposed in the stagnant waters, already contaminated with carcasses of dead animals.

?The town of Gonaives has been completely devastated. The streets are lined with groups of people walking through the streets trying to find higher ground,? described Mr. Parnell A. Denis Oxfam?s contact on the ground in Gonaives. Food supplies and water are scarce and the price for what food is left is rising. The moral of people staying in the shelters is so very low; I am afraid to tell them that another storm is on its way?. Ike, a category 4 hurricane, is forecasted to pass to the north of Haiti early Sunday morning.

Until today, water levels at the South entrance of the town had cut off access to humanitarian convoys from Port-au-Prince; entrance from the north remains inaccessible. Oxfam International Haiti is preparing an evaluation team to travel to Gona�ves to conduct an in depth assessment of the situation. Additional distributions of kits and water to Gonaives are planned for the coming days and joint interventions are being coordinated with other NGOs.

In the west department, Oxfam is coordinating with local authorities in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area to provide support for 6 shelters currently housing more than 1,100 people.

In the North, Oxfam teams have been conducting evaluations with local authorities and other NGOs to assess the extent of the damage and are ready to distribute non-food item kits in the north.

In the Nippes department, Oxfam is following up its first response to Hurricane Gustav with the deployment of an in depth evaluation team. Last weekend, Oxfam distributed non-food item kits to 110 families, in addition to 700 5-gallon bottles of drinking water.

All actions are being carried out in collaboration with local authorities in each area.

]]> No publisher mborum Haiti 2009-02-08T07:43:38Z Press Release