obama

Oxfam welcomes the support shown for the world’s refugees at President Obama's Leader’s Summit today - but what is needed now is to see governments pay up. 

Close to four million refugees and asylum seekers have fled from one conflict zone to another, Oxfam said today ahead of two summits on migration in New York next week.

Emma Seery, Oxfam's spokesperson, said:

As President Barrack Obama prepares for a much-anticipated meeting with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai next week in Washington, DC, aid agency Oxfam International urges the two leaders to prioritize the safety of millions of Afghan civilians who continue to be caught in the conflict.

$200bn could mean the difference between success and failure in Copenhagen, as the UN climate summit begins in the city today. The Summit marks the culmination of two years of international negotiations on a deal to prevent catastrophic climate change.

Oxfam applauded today’s announcement that President Obama will attend the United Nations conference on climate change in Copenhagen at the same time as other world leaders.

Oxfam was pleased to hear that the new US strategy for Afghanistan will support ministries and local leaders that deliver for the Afghan people and combat corruption, and that there will be more focused assistance on agriculture, as up to 80 percent of Afghans rely on agriculture to survive.

President Obama's leadership has succeeded in setting a new tone that has instilled hope.... Now it is most urgent that the US and all nations work together to secure a better future.