Ahead of the virtual G20 Summit tomorrow, Chema Vera, Oxfam International’s Interim Executive Director, urged its leaders to act boldly and across borders to save millions of lives.
“These are extraordinary times. Only bold action by governments working together can overcome this global crisis.
“G20 leaders must provide a massive injection of funds to help poor countries contain, and respond to, the virus. They must also agree on a global economic rescue plan to help poor and vulnerable communities in the difficult months ahead.
“The G20 group, which includes some of the richest countries in the world, can unlock the resources to make this happen starting with the immediate cancellation or postponement of poor countries' debt repayments.
“We are all in this together. No one is safe until we are all safe. The global community came together to bail out the banks in times of financial crisis. They must come together now to bail out humanity.”
Notes to Editors
Oxfam is already working closely with partners and communities to support poor and vulnerable communities around the globe – to help prevent the spread of the virus, to keep people safe and to help them weather the economic storm. The distribution of soap, clean water and hygiene kits have been ramped up in some of the largest refugees and internally displaced people's camps – such as the Zaatari camp in Jordan, the Rohingya camps in Bangladesh and Myanmar, and shelters in Yemen, Iraq and Burkina Faso. Oxfam is also promoting good hygiene practices awareness and ensuring accurate health information is shared in local languages.