rights in crisis

Ordinary Afghans blame government weakness and corruption as the second most important factor behind the fighting, with the Taliban coming third, followed by interference by neighboring countries.

The Security Council has today reaffirmed its readiness and willingness to respond to situations where civilians are being targeted or humanitarian assistance is being obstructed.

The new Afghan government must urgently devote greater resources to building up to 6,000 new schools, training upwards of 5,000 new midwives and professionalizing the police force, according to aid agencies working throughout Afghanistan.

In 1984, a famine claimed the lives of one million Ethiopians.

New York: Today’s announcement by the USA of support for the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was welcomed by Oxfam International and Amnesty International, warning that Washington’s support comes at a very high price. Giving any Member State veto power would weaken not strengthen future Treaty.

Afghanistan’s next government must urgently devote greater resources to building up to 6,000 new schools, training upwards of 5,000 new midwives and professionalizing the police force to improve the lives of ordinary Afghans, aid agencies working in Afghanistan said today.

The US government’s plans to give every State a veto over a crucial arms trade treaty must be rejected by the British government as US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband are set to meet.

Oxfam and a coalition of NGOs reveal death toll reaches 2.1 million in three years of talks about talks. Talks to establish an effective international treaty on the trade in conventional arms are going at a snail’s pace because of some major arms exporters.

After rushing in a relief team to help deliver the most basic emergency supplies – drinking water, shoes, clothes, Fala Lilii (mats), sleeping bags and boxes of tinned fish – we are ramping up our response in Samoa.

International agency Oxfam’s emergency team is at work in Samoa today responding to urgent needs. The immediate focus is to ensure survivors in remote rural areas have clean water and basic sanitation.