Press releases

Oxfam leaders, experts, and refugee partners will be at the Global Refugee Forum taking place 13-15 December 2023 in Geneva. They will speak to a range of issues including meaningful participation of refugees, shifting funding and power to refugee-led organizations, gender inequality, responsibility sharing, and the growing climate-fuelled forced displacement. 

In response to the Global Stocktake draft text released tonight, Nafkote Dabi, Oxfam International’s Climate Change Policy Lead, said: “If this current text is adopted, COP28 will be a scandal that has failed us all. It is unimaginably bad.

On the term “abatement” appearing in the final text regarding the phase out of fossil fuels, Oxfam International’s Climate Change Policy Lead Nafkote Dabi said: “Abatement linked to fossil fuel phase out is a gift served on a silver platter to the fossil fuel industry they will gladly seize to dodge any commitments. It is a dangerous trick that will have catastrophic impacts on communities who are already in a vulnerable position due to climate breakdown.

EU lawmakers risk letting fossil fuel financiers, greenwashers, and companies violating labour rights off the hook under new European due diligence rules.  

We are appalled at the failure of the UN Security Council to authorise a resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire and unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza. If implemented, this would have provided much needed respite for civilians in Gaza who are under constant bombardment.This was a missed opportunity to stop the violence.  

The Israeli military onslaught in southern Gaza is causing destruction, danger, and civilian terror and suffering at such a scale that makes any humanitarian response impossible across the entire enclave, says Oxfam. The nightmare is unfolding in full view of the international community. “Our political leaders are failing – in abject weakness – to forge a ceasefire, which is the only possible humanitarian action that now really matters,” said Marta Valdes Garcia, Oxfam Humanitarian Director.

Through analysing climate finance provided to 37 fragile and conflict affected states (FCAS) in 2019-20, we find that the scale of finance going to these contexts is far below
what is needed, at an average of 13.64 USD per person per year, and much of it is of poor quality. Despite being responsible for a small proportion of emissions, in 2019-20, over half of the climate finance for FCAS came in the form of debt-creating instruments such as loans, and almost one-tenth was provided as non-concessional loans.

Global climate finance levels are woefully insufficient to keep warming below 1.5°C or protect people from the devastating impacts of climate breakdown —and this gap is particularly evident in countries mired in conflict or that are unable to provide basic services for their communities. 

In response to the launch by France and Kenya of an international taxation taskforce at COP28 to push for new levies to raise further money for climate action, Nafkote Dabi, Oxfam International’s Climate Change Policy Lead, said: “While the will to move the international tax agenda towards raising critical new funds for countries most affected by the climate crisis is welcome, the proposals being put on the table fall far short of what is needed. Taxing excess profits and the obscene wealth in the hands of the top 1% should be at the core of this initiative. That’s where the money is —and this is what is needed to help stop the runaway inequality that is fueling climate breakdown."

Reacting to news today that the humanitarian pause agreed between the Government of Israel and Hamas has ended, with renewed hostilities, Oxfam Humanitarian Director Marta Valdes Garcia said: “While Oxfam welcomes the release of Israeli and foreign national hostages back to their families during the pause, and the reuniting of Palestinian prisoners and detainees in return, more still remain in captivity.