Blogs

On 18 - 19 March, the EU, UN, EU countries, INGOs and partners will meet in Brussels to discuss and shape the humanitarian agenda. At this third edition of the European Humanitarian Forum, the implications of the current, most pressing humanitarian crises will be explored, focusing specifically on the humanitarian funding gap and on neglected crises worldwide. The Forum comes at a critical moment with staggering humanitarian needs and right before the June European Parliament elections.  

Dear chocolate lovers,                       Happy Valentine! I hope you get to spend this special day with your loved ones, celebrating the love with your favorite chocolates and other sweets. My name is Leticia A Yankey, a cocoa farmer from Ghana. I'm writing you this love letter, from Amsterdam where I'm attending the Amsterdam Cocoa Week from 6-11 February 2024.At this conference, I have the chance to meet with various stakeholders in…

The Global Refugee Forum (GRF) is a vital platform for systematizing commitments made by the international community under the framework of the Global Compact on Refugees to enable collective action to support the well-being of refugees and forcibly displaced people globally. It is vital that the outcomes of the 2nd GRF, to be held this week between 13-15 December, address the priorities of refugees and host communities living in major refugee-hosting countries.

The chocolate industry is one of the most profitable sectors amongst global food value chains. So much of this wealth and profits are concentrated for the big chocolate companies, their shareholders and their CEOs. While the people who are at the forefront of chocolate productions continue to lose out. 

One hundred local food plants for improving nutrition is the title of the new book published by Oxfam, written by Gisella Cruz-Garcia, Konstantina Maria Togka, Hilton Mbozi and Bert Visser. This book will become the best friend for those who are keen to improve their nutrition, and help others to do that, with the consumption of local food plant biodiversity.

Due to the occupation and illegal blockade by the Israeli government, Palestinians have been living under insecurity and oppression for years. In recent days, violence has increased, resulting in many Palestinian as well as Israeli civilian casualties.

The mid-term review of the EU's 7-year budget, the Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), comes at a critical moment. In an era dubbed "perma-crisis," where humanitarian aid and development cooperation struggle against a cascading stream of constant crises, it's time for the European Commission to face reality. This review is an opportunity for the European Commission to give EU countries a frank appraisal of the financial resources needed to live up to the EU’s ambitions of being a global champion of human rights, poverty eradication, tackling inequality and climate action and a leader in crisis response. The EU countries must respond by allocating more funding so that the EU’s aspirational rhetoric doesn’t turn into empty promises.

On World Humanitarian Day 2023, Amalin Patnaik, Programme Coordinator at Oxfam in India, shares the lesser-known facets of humanitarian work and his journey of helping victims and families after the tragic train collision in Balasore, Odisha.

With 10 + years of experience leading program development and management at country and global levels, Mrs. Justine Gomis Tossou is passionate and committed to uplifting the most vulnerable communities. An outstanding facilitator, she has a proven track record serving in many international organizations in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean Islands. Justine is known for her excellent ability to provide cost-effective solutions and impactful, and lasting contributions to complex development issues.

The termination of the grain deal between Ukraine and Russia is mostly portrayed as hurting poorer countries. However, United Nations figures on the grain deal show that only 2.5 percent of the grain was destined for countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan, countries ravaged by conflict and climate change. Slightly more prosperous countries such as Kenya, Egypt, Tunisia and Bangladesh received 17 percent. Europe and China got most of the cake. The question is to what extent the grain deal has really improved the availability and affordability of food in the world's poorest countries, and in reducing hunger. As it turns out, while nearly 800 million people worldwide still go to bed hungry every day, the reach of the grain deal has been limited. Food-deficit countries ultimately benefit more from supporting small farmers and developing local food markets.