How we fight poverty

The injustice of poverty demands a powerful and practical response to address both its causes and its impact on peoples' lives.

In a store aisle, a young boy looks into the camera while his father packs food into plastic bags.

Gaza: Food vouchers provide a lifeline for families who have lost everything

In the blink of an eye, Ahmed's home and his shop were bombed into rubble. Now he is struggling to provide for his family. Oxfam and partners have been distributing emergency food vouchers to 50,000 families like Ahmad's.

Oxfam Trailwalker

Challenge yourself and challenge poverty in the ultimate test of determination and teamwork.

Oxfam Unwrapped

Looking for something a little different during a festive season? Give a gift that truly gives twice!

Nesma shares a laugh with her friends during class.

Gaza: Despite the ceasefire, huge needs remain

10 year old Nesma used to enjoy going to school. But now school is a constant reminder that her home is gone: Her family sleeps in a classroom as their house was completely destroyed during the 50 days of war.

Above and Beyond: voices from South Sudan

Above & Beyond: Voices of Hope from South Sudan

12 May 2014

A lot of attention has been paid to the negative side of South Sudan’s ethnic groups and diverse cultures. These are the voices of those who went the extra mile. Their bravery and strength in light of the situation they faced is a testament to the extraordinary power of compassion, hope and the will to survive.

Kuir Mayem Atem, déplacée dans un camp au Soudan du Sud

Crisis in South Sudan

Nearly 4 million people remain in urgent need in South Sudan following the conflict that broke out last year. Over one million people have fled their homes and are displaced within the country and over 450,000 have fled to neighboring countries. We have reached more than 340,000 people with life saving essentials, but we urgently need to reach more.

Crisis in Syria

More than three years after the beginning of the conflict in Syria, the scale of the crisis continues to deepen both within and outside Syria, with massive numbers of refugees, who are often living in inadequate shelter, residing in neighboring countries.

Democratic Republic of Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Oxfam's work combines short-term emergency relief with longer-term development projects.

One of Africa’s largest countries, with a population of 65 million, DRC is ranked in the bottom 10 countries worldwide on the Human Development Index, despite its vast potential wealth. Years of conflict have created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

An estimated 5.4 million people have lost their lives since 1998, most of them from preventable diseases.
In 2012, there were 2.2 million internally displaced persons in the DRC, the highest in three years.
An additional 60 000 people fled into neighboring Uganda and Rwanda from the fighting last summer.

While DR Congo is a country abundantly rich in resources, it has struggled to realize its full potential since independence.

How Oxfam is helping

We work with communities that are hosting tens of thousands of displaced people in the east of the country. Our focus is on providing clean water and sanitation facilities to minimize the spread of disease.

Education

One in three Congolese children do not get the chance to go to school. Oxfam is working to improve the quality of basic education and increase school enrolment, especially among girls. We train teachers and have been refurbishing schools, making them rainproof and supplying them with desks.

Healthcare

Malnutrition is widespread, and there is a serious lack of healthcare. We work to improve hospital facilities in the capital, Kinshasa, and to promote good hygiene practices among displaced communities living in temporary shelters.

Conflict response

An upsurge of fighting in eastern Congo has seen communities torn apart, homes burned to the ground, and thousands of women have been raped. A government military offensive, backed by the United Nations, has made the situation even more dangerous for Congolese civilians.

In the northeast of the country, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has terrorized civilians for years, attacking villages, abducting women and children, and destroying livelihoods. Oxfam is providing clean water to communities, hospitals and schools in the region, and works to provide support to people living with HIV and AIDS.

We have expanded our emergency response to deal with the deteriorating situation, providing vital assistance to 800,000 vulnerable people.