USA

On the deadline for compliance to the US Secretary of Defense letter demanding Israel to provide concrete measures to reverse the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, today, Tuesday, November 12, Oxfam and seven humanitarian organizations have released a scorecard assessing progress against these measures over the past 30 days, concluding that Israel has failed to comply with its ally’s demands – at enormous human cost for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.

In response to US Secretary of State Pompeo’s decision to designate the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist, Oxfam America’s Humanitarian Policy Lead Scott Paul said: “Secretary Pompeo’s decision to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization is a counter-productive and dangerous policy that will put innocent lives at risk. This designation will not help to resolve the conflict or provide justice for the violations and abuses committed during the war; it will only compound the crisis for millions of Yemenis fighting for their survival.

The Trump administration’s plan for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict disregards international law and diminishes prospects for a just and lasting peace, said the Norwegian Refugee Council and Oxfam today. 

Condemning the attack on an aid convoy in Aleppo, Oxfam said there is the real risk Syria will fall even further into the abyss. 

In response to the nationwide ceasefire in Syria, Oxfam hopes it will provide a welcome respite for Syrian civilians who have faced unremitting violence and deliberate deprivation of aid. Russia and the USA must make sure their agreement translates to a real and lasting halt to violence in Syria, said the agency. 

Talks yesterday on Syria between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offered modest signs of progress towards alleviating the humanitarian situation, halting the violence, and achieving a political solution.

In response to the US Government's Afghanistan strategy review made public today, international humanitarian organization Oxfam is concerned about the lack of provisions for civilian protection as well as long-term support for healthcare, education, and women's rights.

Oxfam International is heartened by Secretary Clinton’s commitment to significant financial resources of $100 billion dollars a year by 2020 to help developing countries weather the negative impacts of climate change.