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Rachel Schaevitz

Risk of disease outbreak as Bangladesh floods

The risk of waterborne disease outbreak is rising as the water and sanitation systems across 11 districts in Bangladesh have been submerged or disrupted by recent floods, said Oxfam today.  

Oxfam’s recent needs assessment survey across Fulgazi, Feni Sadar, Senbag, and Kobirhat areas in Feni and Noakhali, the hardest-hit districts, showed that nearly all shelters were submerged and 48% were destroyed. All of the sanitation facilities in the areas studied have been entirely damaged. 

Oxfam’s Country Director in Bangladesh Ashish Damle said: 

“We are looking at a health ticking bomb. The water and sanitation infrastructure in those districts have almost entirely collapsed. Floods have washed away agricultural and industrial chemicals as well as people’s waste, which have severely contaminated the water, putting millions of people already struggling at a very high risk of waterborne disease outbreak.” 

The Bangladesh floods which started last week and are the worst in recent history, have affected around 5.8 million people. With sanitation facilities, infrastructures, homes, and agricultural lands extensively damaged, communities need immediate and sustained support.  

Enamul Hoque, Oxfam’s Water and Sanitation Specialist said: “When we visited households in both urban and rural areas of Feni, we saw entire families suffering from acute watery diarrhea and vomiting. We need a large-scale coordinated response to prevent and mitigate an imminent disease outbreak.”  

According to the UN, water and sanitation facilities in 10 districts have been severely impacted. Most have been flooded, washed away or damaged, posing major risks to the water quality and health, adding burden onto already struggling health facilities. Nearly 300,000 latrines have also been damaged, according to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE).  

Hosne Ara Begum, a 38-year-old Feni district resident, recounted her harrowing experience: “We spent days on the roof, with no food or clean water. The toilets were underwater, and we had no privacy. We had to use a saree (cloth) to cover and defecate on the roof. We’ve been sick, but there’s no other option. This flood has taken everything from us.” 

 People urgently need clean drinking water, cash, food, and hygiene kits. In the mid-term, they will also need support to repair their homes, restore water and sanitation infrastructure, and provide agricultural inputs to restart food production. In the long term, sustainable solutions such as building resilient water and sanitation facilities, shelters, and promoting income-generating activities are essential to ensure these vulnerable communities’ recovery and future resilience. 

Oxfam in Bangladesh has been on the ground since the floods, providing immediate emergency support, including clean water, dry food, water purifications, and mobile charging stations.  

Oxfam is providing the most affected communities with shelter, sanitation facilities, cash, hygiene kits, and food. Together with its partners, Oxfam is also planning long-term rehabilitation of critical water and sanitation networks, as well as supporting people to rebuild their lives.  

However, the scale of the disaster demands more substantial resources to address immediate and long-term needs. 

Note to the editors: 

  • According to the UN, Bangladesh Water, 520 unions of 77 Upazilas of 10 districts have been severely impacted. Source: UN Situation Report, 30 August 2024 
  • According to the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) report, as of 31 August 2024, 295,689 latrines have been damaged.  

Contact information:

Rachel Schaevitz, [email protected]

Bangladesh Floods: Affected Communities Look for Urgent Support

The ongoing flash floods in Bangladesh, triggered by relentless heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, and upstream water releases from India, have devastated 12 districts, leaving millions stranded and in desperate need of aid. According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, with nearly 5 million people affected and at least 18 lives lost, the situation is dire.

With roads cut off and communication networks down, Oxfam in Bangladesh is on the ground, delivering urgent life-saving support to the most vulnerable. The organization calls for urgent support as the country battles one of the worst flooding crises in recent memory.

Ashish Damle, Country Director of Oxfam in Bangladesh, expressed deep concern over the scale of the disaster: “This is one of the most severe flooding events Bangladesh has faced in recent years with millions stranded without access to essential resources. We urgently need the global community to stand with us in providing life-saving support to those most affected.”

“On the ground, our colleagues are supporting the people in need. We also call on individuals, organizations, and communities to stand by affected communities,'” he added.  

The floodwaters have ravaged homes, destroyed critical infrastructure, and submerged vast agricultural land across districts, including Cumilla, Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong, and Sylhet. Feni district has been particularly hard hit, with residents struggling to survive amid limited access to food, clean water, and medical care. 

The disaster has rendered over 2,000 mobile towers inoperative and severed key rail and road connections, severely hampering communication and the coordination of relief efforts. The floods have also displaced around 200,000 people and damaged over 350,000 hectares of crops, threatening food security in the coming months. With 1.1 million people still without electricity, the disruption to communication networks continues to pose significant challenges.

Nazrul Islam, a resident of Feni district, described the reality: “We have lost everything. Our home, which once sheltered us, is now completely submerged under water. We have no food to eat, no clean water to drink, and no place to turn to for help. We are struggling to survive each day, praying for any assistance that can help us make it through this nightmare.”

Along with partners, Oxfam is also responding to the situation, addressing immediate lifesaving needs. In the coming weeks, Oxfam plans to intensify its efforts, addressing critical needs in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), protection, shelter, and livelihood assistance. These include distributing dignity kits, baby food, cooked meals, and sanitation facilities.

Oxfam urgently seeks EUR 3 million to reach 170,000 people to respond to this escalating crisis effectively. Additionally, EUR 5 million ($5.4 million NZD)  is required for long-term rehabilitation efforts to support 300,000 people through the restoration of WASH facilities, shelter repairs, and rebuilding of livelihoods and community infrastructure. Oxfam’s priority intervention locations include Feni, Noakhali, Chittagong, the Hill Tracts, and Moulvibazar.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) warns of continued heavy rainfall over the next 72 hours, making the situation precarious. Oxfam is committed to staying with these communities throughout the crisis and recovery phase, but we cannot do it alone. We need your help now more than ever.

Contact information:

Rachel Schaevitz, [email protected]

South Sudan: Hunger crisis escalates

People in Pibor County resort to eating wild vegetables as hunger crisis escalates 

Upcoming rainy season set to reach record-high levels and will likely decimate crops. 

People in South Sudan’s Pibor county are forced to survive on wild vegetables and desert dates as the number of people dying from starvation rises. With torrential rains halting aid flights, the situation could get much worse quickly, warned Oxfam today.  

 More than half the population – over 7 million people – are already facing extreme hunger, including nearly 79,000 people facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, which is more than double that of last year. 

Dr. Manenji Mangundu, Oxfam South Sudan Country Director said: “The scenes of suffering are heart-wrenching. Thousands of people both young and old are hungry and children severely malnourished; many people are going for days without anything to eat. Just this month alone, (July) more than 12 people died from starvation” 

 “The situation will be aggravated by flooding that has started. Record-level flooding is forecasted for this rainy season (June- September), and likely to decimate crops and probably push approximately 3.3 million already vulnerable people to a breaking point.” 

South Sudan continues to suffer from climate induced challenges-like flooding and drought. Over 70% of the country, including Pibor region, has been affected by floods for the past 6 consecutive years. This is aggravated by the economic crisis, ongoing conflict in neighbouring Sudan fueling hunger levels in the majority of communities within South Sudan. 

 Moreover, these drivers have together forced the plummeting of the South Sudanese currency and triggered the highest real food inflation since independence (164%) according to the World Bank, making it harder for people to access food. The prices of staple foods such as wheat, sorghum, oil, and flour have all increased, with some more than tripled since March this year. 

 Adau Nyok, living in the capital of Juba said: “Three months ago, I used to buy 10kg of flour for 3500 SSP ($3.50 NZD). Now it costs me 15,000 SSP ($15.75 USD). Unfortunately, the prices keep rising and we can no longer afford it due to lack of access to cash.”   

As Oxfam and partners provide life-saving interventions like food, cash, clean water supplies and sanitation in South Sudan, Oxfam staff have heard harrowing stories from families who are losing their children due to hunger.  Rebecca Korok Nyarek , who lost her young nephew, said: 

“I lost my nephew because of hunger. He was just 15 years old. There is no food at home. People are starving, and when you go out to the bushes in search of food, sometimes you will get something small to eat, even wild fruits are no longer available because of the rains and that’s how we sleep at night.’’  

Fourteen months into the conflict in Sudan, over 750,000 returnees and refugees have fled to South Sudan where theyfacing catastrophic conditions. Transit centers in Renk and Malakal, designed for 4,000 people, are now sheltering more people than five times their capacity.  

The situation is particularly dire for the refugees and returnees who are fleeing into South Sudan co-habiting with communities already facing extreme hunger while funding is very limited. South Sudan appeal is at 28%, seven months into the year.  

Malnutrition is increasing rapidly among children in the overcrowded temporary transit camps along the Sudan-South Sudan borders, exacerbating the crisis, while aid agencies are pulling out due to lack of funding.  

Aisha, a Sudanese refugee from Khartoum fled her home with her children after her husband was killed at his shop in the city:  “We have arrived here and although the sounds of the guns are no longer there, our children are hungry. Majority of the nights, we sleep on empty stomachs and now with the rains, our tents are sometimes washed away”, said Aisha. 

Oxfam urgently needs $15 million to scale up its operations and save lives of vulnerable children and women affected by the conflict, floods and diseases. 

“Failing to respond when people are starving is a moral failing that must not continue. Without urgent assistance now we risk many more lives. Humanitarian assistance delayed is aid denied, donors must act now” 

 

Note to editors 

  • IPC Figures- An estimated 79,000 people are in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe) in April-July 2024.  
  • According to a recent World Bank report South Sudan now holds the highest real food inflation rate in the world at 164 per cent. Real food inflation is defined as food inflation minus overall inflation. 
  • Oxfam calculated the price of flour using the official exchange rates of the Central Bank of South Sudan 

Water War Crimes: How the Israeli Government has weaponised water in its military campaign in Gaza

This report presents a detailed analysis of how the Government of Israel has systematically weaponized water against the Palestinians in its latest assault on Gaza, raising grave concerns of human rights violations and breaches of international law. It highlights ongoing violations of international laws, showing how the Government of Israel has used water deprivation to dehumanize and ultimately threaten Palestinian lives since the 1993 Oslo Accords. This culminates, in a brutal fashion, in the current military operation in Gaza.

The UN Commission of Inquiry finds that Israel’s military operations and civilian policies relating to water in Gaza, following the attacks by Palestinian armed groups on Israel on 7 October 2023, are indiscriminate and disproportionate. The ‘total siege’ which the Government of Israel is using to collectively punish the entire civilian population in Gaza, including restrictions on water, electricity, fuel deliveries and the entry of essential supplies, has compounded the suffering of a population that is now on the brink of famine. The Israeli military’s continuous and extensive bombardment, which has destroyed key roads and essential civilian infrastructure, has further debilitated humanitarian efforts, leaving the population in dire conditions.

Key findings include:
The systematic destruction and obstruction of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure has led to severe water shortages and health crises. Oxfam’s detailed breakdown shows significant damage to water production wells, storage reservoirs, desalination plants and wastewater facilities, drastically reducing water availability and creating unsanitary conditions. Oxfam’s attempts to import critical supplies like water desalination units and repair materials have been obstructed by Israeli restrictions.


The systematic destruction of water facilities, bureaucratic hurdles blocking humanitarian supplies, and inflammatory statements by Israeli officials12 show that the Israeli government is at best reckless as to the humanitarian crisis and its IHL duty to protect civilians. Israel’s military approach has created conditions of destruction and widespread suffering, underscoring the severe nature of the crisis in Gaza resulting from a policy of deprivation and denial.

Read the full report: Water War Crimes report

“Least Cost” means “More Damage” in Government’s Emissions Plan

Oxfam Aotearoa is dismayed by the lack of ambition in the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan released today.

‘Relying on the least cost option of planting more pine trees, rather than cutting climate pollution, will only cause more damage for communities in Aotearoa and the Pacific on the frontlines of the climate crisis.’ said Oxfam Aotearoa’s Climate Justice Lead, Nick Henry.

‘The gap is growing between our domestic policies and our international commitments. This will cost New Zealand billions of dollars by 2030 if we rely on buying offsets from other countries. The lack of ambition in today’s plan will increase that cost by tens of millions.

‘Today’s announcement makes it clear that the Government now has no plan to reach net-zero, with emissions exceeding net-zero budgets after 2030. The cost of cutting climate pollution is being kicked down the road, while communities in Aotearoa and the Pacific continue to suffer from the worsening climate crisis.

‘We are disappointed to see the lack of significant support for public and active transport in the plan. Improving access to public transport would be one of the best climate wins, and would also help reduce the cost of living for so many.

‘The plan does nothing to fix the Emissions Trading Scheme. We need leadership from Government to stop subsidising pollution through free allocation and change settings that reward planting pine trees rather than cutting gross emissions.

‘It is not credible to claim that increasing oil and gas exploration is compatible with reducing emissions. It is the wrong century for “lesser evil” thinking that fossil gas is better than coal, when renewable energy options are already here and getting cheaper every year. Aotearoa urgently needs to stop producing and burning fossil fuels. Instead, we need a just transition to renewable energy for workers, communities, and the planet.’

Notes for editors:

1. The Emissions Reduction Plan states: ‘The gap between the first and second emissions budgets and the NDC is 101 Mt CO2-e.’ [p. 34].

2. Mt CO2-e is Megatonnes of Carbon-Dioxide equivalent emissions, including emissions of all Greenhouse Gases. New Zealand has committed to cutting net emissions to no more than 571 Mt CO2-e for 2021-2030 in our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.

3. In 2023, Treasury calculated the gap between ERP1 and ERP2 and the NDC as 99.2 Mt CO2-e and estimated that purchasing international offsets to cover this gap would cost between $3.7 billion and $20.6 billion, with a mid-point estimate of $8.6 billion, assuming all emissions budgets were met. [p. 86]

Even assuming Treasury’s lowest cost estimate, increasing the gap between emissions and the NDC commitment by two percent, as today’s plan does, would cost New Zealand at least $80 million.

4. For more on the urgent need for a just transition from fossil fuels, see Oxfam Aotearoa’s 2023 report Closing Time: Why Aotearoa needs a just transition from fossil fuel production now.

For more information:

Rachel Schaevitz/ [email protected]

Former heads of state and government call on G20 leaders to back global deal to tax the ultra-rich

Close to 20 former heads of state and government of G20 and higher-income countries, including former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark, former President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, former Prime Minister of Sweden Stefan Löfven, former Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gilliard, former Prime Minister of France Dominique de Villepin and former President of Spain José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, called on current G20 leaders —including US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer— to support a “new global deal to tax the world’s ultra-rich individuals” in an open letter published today.

Ensuring the ultra-rich pay their fair share “would reduce inequality and raise trillions of dollars necessary for investments in industrial policy and a just transition.”

The former leaders state in the letter that “Brazil’s G20 proposal underlines the opportunity to write a new story about taxation for the first time in a generation” at a time when “billionaires, globally, are paying a tax rate equivalent to less than 0.5 percent of their wealth.”

The Brazilian government, in its presidency of the G20, is championing a new global tax standard on taxing the ultra-rich. The letter by former heads of state and government of G20 countries comes alongside talks across G20 capitals to back the deal, and ahead of a meeting of G20 finance ministers
and central bankers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 25 July. Governments including Brazil, South Africa, France and Spain have already voiced their support. The leaders write: “rare is a proposal that asks us as former leaders to rally in unity —and that we recognize as politically possible. This, clearly, is one.”

Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Member of Club de Madrid, said: “Brazil is to be commended for bringing the issue of a global tax standard on the world’s billionaires to the G20 table. This builds on an earlier G20 decision to support a global minimum tax of fifteen per cent on multinational companies. The latter initiative took years to come to fruition. Both initiatives build global cooperation to tackle tax avoidance.”

The letter, which was coordinated by Club de Madrid and Oxfam, warns that “the share of income of the top 1 percent of earners has risen by 45 percent over four decades while top tax rates on their incomes were cut by roughly a third.”

Note to editors:

Full open letter and signatories is available on Club Madrid’s site.  

For more information:

Rachel Schaevitz/ [email protected]

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Oxfam is a worldwide development organisation that mobilises the power of people against injustice. Oxfam Aotearoa is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Register (registration CC24641). Donations are tax refundable.

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