What We Do
Oxfam America works on the scene, helping people gain the hope, skills, and direction to create a new future. We are also active in the global arena, addressing social injustice through our advocacy, public education, and emergency assistance programs.
On September 29, a series of tsunamis struck the Samoan island chain within minutes of a strong undersea earthquake in the South Pacific.
When Tropical Storm Ketsana swept through the Philippines and, gaining in strength, struck Vietnam as a full-scale typhoon, it caused massive flooding, destruction, and displacement before moving inland to Cambodia and Laos.
The powerful undersea earthquake that struck near West Sumatra on September 30 killed at least 1,000 people and destroyed homes, bridges, and roads in Padang and villages north of the city.
Learn more about Oxfam's Global Emergency Response, our emergency aid program that allows us to respond immediately, without relying on headline news to generate public interest and support.
Cyclone Aila struck Bangladesh and India with torrential rains and tidal surges that caused massive flooding. Oxfam partners are rushing essential aid to the survivors.
As fighting intensifies, hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis have fled their homes. Oxfam is working to provide essentials to the people in greatest need.
Oxfam and local partners are building latrines and rushing clean water and hygiene supplies to those who have been displaced by violence.
Suffering continues on an almost unimaginable scale. Millions are living in makeshift shelters in crowded camps or on the edge of towns and villages.
Climate change, energy costs, and biofuel demand are driving food prices through the roof, particularly impacting the poor, who spend most of their income on food.
Oxfam and local partners are providing Gazans food, clean water, medical assistance, and public health services, and repairing water and sewage systems damaged in the conflict.
Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has cost nearly 5.4 million lives. Many have fled to neighboring countries or temporary camps, and government stability is fragile.
Oxfam's response to the devastating 2004 tsunami was our largest humanitarian response ever, with over 2.5 million people receiving vital aid and recovery assistance.
Somalia has been without an effective government since 1991. Periodic conflict between rival factions has forced massive displacements of people and severely disrupted the economy.
Following the tsunami of Dec. 2004, Oxfam launched a research program to study a wide range of issues related to the disaster response, which has strengthened our programs and pointed the way to improving aid effectiveness.
Zimbabwe is in the grip of a cholera epidemic that is threatening the health of over 300,000 people, worsening an already dire economic situation.
2008 China earthquake recovery
A devastating earthquake in the Sichuan region of China in 2008 killed nearly 70,000, injured 350,000 and caused the evacuation of 15 million people.
2007 Bangladesh cyclone recovery
Cyclone Sidr left more than 3,000 people dead, destroyed or damaged 1.4 million houses, and affected more than 8 million people. Without a massive response, Bangladesh will face its worst crisis in decades.
Oxfam seeks to create equitable solutions to the crisis, including greenhouse gas reduction and financial assistance for the most vulnerable communities.
Right to Know, Right to Decide
Poor communities often have no say in the extraction of resources from their land, and receive little information about these projects. Oxfam is calling on oil, gas, and mining companies to respect their rights and operate transparently.
US foreign aid under-performs and often fails to reach the people who need it most. Oxfam seeks reform of US foreign aid to make it more efficient, more modern, and more focused on ending global poverty.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita spurred Oxfam America's first relief and recovery effort in the US. Oxfam is working with local partners in the Gulf Coast to address the needs of the most vulnerable residents and communities.
The poorest people often find vital drugs priced out of reach—despite promises from the WTO to make medicines affordable and available to all. Oxfam is asking governments and drug companies to make affordable medicine a reality.
Poor countries are already suffering from the effects of climate change. Oxfam seeks to create equitable solutions to the crisis, including greenhouse gas reduction and financial assistance for the most vulnerable communities.
Our mission is to do whatever we can to reduce suffering and save lives during emergencies—whether they are caused by conflict or by natural events. We partner with local groups in a network that stretches around the world.
Worldwide, one in six people now suffers from chronic hunger. Oxfam is working on solutions to ensure that no one, no matter where he or she lives, has to go to sleep hungry.
Oxfam seeks fair government policies and corporate practices in the oil, gas, and mining industries, and supports the right of communities to participate in decisions about the use of natural resources.
US foreign aid under-performs and often fails to reach the people who need it most. Oxfam seeks reform of US foreign aid to make it more efficient, more modern, and more focused on ending global poverty.
Having a safe place to save or access to a small loan can help a family work its way out of poverty. Oxfam America has pioneered a microfinance model called Saving for Change, which self-replicates on a large scale and at a low cost.
An uneven and often incompetent recovery effort has left many residents of the US Gulf Coast struggling to rebuild. Oxfam is leading efforts to ensure the needs of the most vulnerable are fully addressed.
Farm workers in the US are often subjected to mistreatment and exploitation. Oxfam seeks to expose sweatshop conditions and human rights violations in America's fields.
We are hopeful that the new administration will re-engage with the international community, lead the fight against global poverty, and create positive long-term change that will result in a more prosperous, secure world.
The factors that make people vulnerable to poverty and HIV/AIDS are similar, including a lack of access to health care and education; violence; racial and gender discrimination; and other human rights violations.
In many areas of the world there is little respect for minorities or indigenous people. Oxfam specializes in the training and strengthening of organizations that call for changes in discriminatory policies targeting minority groups.
Oxfam helps farmers and native communities gain legal title to their land, manage it in environmentally friendly ways, and defend it against pollution and other threats.
Seventy percent of those living below the poverty line are women. Oxfam helps women and girls overcome gender discrimination, realize their potential, and become decision-makers and leaders in their communities.
For the world's small-scale farmers, farming can be a precarious way of life. From surviving climate change to being paid a fair price, Oxfam helps family farmers around the world earn a decent living.
Global Reach
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Oxfam and local partners help farmers cope with crop failures, food shortages.
With the help of a few sheep, women improve lives of their families
In North Shewa, Ethiopia, sheep are an important household asset.
A traditional form of help allows families to rebuild herds in Ethiopia
Families share the offspring from their small herds with neighbors in need.
Millions face hunger as drought sweeps East Africa
Oxfam America is responding to the crisis with emergency assistance that includes food and cash-for-work programs that aim to help about 350,000 people.
As politicians debate action on climate change, Cambodians rally in the capital city
At the Wat Phnom event, they call on governments to meet the needs of poor countries already struggling to deal with the impacts of climate change.
African farmers have reclaimed farmland lost to drought in the Sahel, bringing hope for the future of this arid region and a model for fighting hunger worldwide.
Volunteers act up while time ticks down
With climate legislation in Congress, and the Copenhagen UN talks fast approaching, the Oxfam Action Corps fight for the people most affected by climate change.
Rebuilding lives after Typhoon Ketsana
Thach You, like thousands of others in Cambodia, is struggling to keep a roof over her family's head and find enough food for her children following a season of devastating floods.
Weather insurance offers Ethiopian farmers hope—despite drought
For the first time, poor farmers can now buy insurance for teff, a staple grain that feeds their families.
