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Disaster Divide – How climate chaos deepens inequality and enriches the few

Read full report – Disaster Divide – How climate chaos deepens inequality and enriches the few here.

Billionaires and the super-rich are burning carbon at an extraordinary rate – the richest 0.1%, or 8 million people, have more emissions than the bottom 3.5 billion. The carbon pollution of the richest 1% is directly contributing to increased climate disasters such as floods, fires, droughts and food crises. Their yearly emissions will cause an estimated 1.9 million excess deaths from heat. 

In turn, these climate disasters are not experienced equally. Climate disasters drive up inequality and are also far more lethal because of it. Deaths from flooding, for example, are seven times higher in more unequal countries.

Rich people can insulate themselves, paying more for food or moving to safer places, whereas most people cannot. Moreover, Oxfam’s new research shows how the super-rich are also actually cashing in on climate pain – making huge profits from sky-high food prices and profiting from disasters. Meanwhile, ordinary people, hit by successive climate shocks, struggle to recover. They are more exposed, more vulnerable, and have less savings to rebuild their lives. 

It is possible to break this vicious circle. We can minimize the human harm of climate breakdown by reducing the emissions of the richest people, radically reducing inequality, and ensuring that actions to adapt to climate change have equality at their centre.

Contact information:

Interviews are available, please reach out to [email protected]

Ultra-rich 0.1% produce more carbon pollution than nearly half of humanity while cashing in on the climate disasters they create

  • Person in the richest 0.1 percent has contributed nearly 400 times more to extreme heatwaves than someone in the poorest half of humanity.
  • Oxfam’s research shows that while the super-rich are responsible for a disproportionate share of carbon pollution, it is ordinary people who bear the brunt of the resulting floods, fires and famine.
  • Oxfam’s new “Destroy & Rebuild Index” exposes how super-rich investors backing fossil fuels and other high-polluting industries are also profiting from disaster preparedness and clean-up.
  • Oxfam urges governments to make rich polluters pay and end climate profiteering.

The world’s richest 0.1 percent (8 million people) produces more carbon pollution than the world’s poorest 3.5 billion people combined, reveals new Oxfam analysis. Published ahead of the UN climate summit (COP31) in Türkiye, the report exposes how the world’s super-rich are driving climate breakdown through their outsized emissions, while shielding themselves from the consequences and, increasingly, profiting from the destruction.

A person in the richest 0.1 percent has contributed nearly 400 times more to today’s extreme heatwaves than someone in the poorest 50 percent. Collectively, this small group of people produces over three times more carbon pollution than the entire population of Sub-Saharan Africa (1.3 billion people).

“The climate crisis is often described as a shared human challenge. It is not. Those who have done the least to cause it are losing their homes, their harvests and, increasingly, their lives. Meanwhile, the super-rich can buy their way out of danger – by retreating to high-tech underground survival bunkers, hiring private firefighting crews, and securing private insurance – and are actively profiting from the consequences of their pollution. This is not a tragedy of shared fate; it is a crime of extreme inequality,” said Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar.

Combining carbon inequality data with cutting-edge climate attribution models, Oxfam has found that:

  • The richest 1 percent are responsible for 20 percent of global warming since 1990 – 100 times more, per person, than someone in the poorest half of humanity.
  • Just one year of emissions by the richest 1 percent will cause 1.9 million excess heat-related deaths. 78 percent of these deaths will occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries, despite these countries being responsible for 8 percent of global emissions.
  • The emissions of the richest 1 percent will cause nearly $53 trillion in damage by 2050.

Used exclusively by the super-rich, private aviation remains one of the clearest examples of extreme carbon inequality. New analysis by Oxfam of private jet tracking data finds that:

  • Combined, private jets emit more carbon pollution in two seconds than someone in the poorest half of humanity emits in a year.

While the super-rich are responsible for a disproportionate share of carbon pollution, it is ordinary people who bear the brunt of the resulting floods, fires and famine.

“Eight million people produce more carbon pollution than three and a half billion. In places like Tonga and Solomon Islands, families who did the least to cause this crisis are paying for it first, rebuilding after floods and droughts they had no hand in causing. That isn’t bad luck. It follows from who decides where emissions get cut and who pays. At COP31, New Zealand has a seat in that room. It should use it to back taxes on extreme wealth and fossil fuel profits, and push for climate finance that comes as grants, not more debt.” said Oxfam Aotearoa Executive Director Jason Myers.

The super-rich buy safety through private insurance and homes in safer, cooler places. For everyone else, climate disasters mean destroyed homes and crops, depleted savings, and lost livelihoods. This leaves people even more exposed when the next disaster hits, deepening the inequality that made them far more vulnerable to climate disasters in the first place. By 2050, as many as 1 billion people (around 10 percent of the world’s population) could be displaced by the climate crisis. Most of those displaced will be in the Global South.

Oxfam’s new Destroy & Rebuild Index identifies 217 corporations profiting from industries that fuel climate breakdown as well as disaster preparedness, recovery and reconstruction.

BlackRock and Vanguard are invested in 92 percent of the corporations in the index. Their combined investments total more than $1 trillion.

The report also warns that climate disasters are increasingly exploited to push policies that deepen inequality, including the privatization of climate action and public services, land grabs, deregulation and tax breaks benefiting the super-rich. The result is a vicious cycle of injustice: deaths from flooding are seven times higher in more unequal countries.

“The ultra-rich are setting the planet on fire and then charging the rest of us for the extinguishers,” said Behar. “They profit from the pollution. They profit from the disaster. And they profit again from the clean-up.” said Behar.

Oxfam is calling on governments meeting at COP31 to:

  • Make rich polluters pay to significantly and rapidly curb their carbon emissions, including through permanent wealth and income taxes, a permanent tax on fossil fuel corporations, and punitive taxes on high-emitting luxury items like private jets.
  • Substantially increase climate finance for the Global South, prioritizing public, grant-based finance rather than loans that deepen debt. The amount for adaptation should be tripled by 2035.
  • Radically reduce inequality within and between countries, including through climate-resilient public infrastructure and public services.
  • End profiteering from climate disasters. Governments need to curb corporate power in emergency response, reconstruction, and food systems during disasters.

/ENDS

Notes to editors

Download Oxfam’s report “Disaster Divide” and methodology note.

Oxfam’s analysis finds that 1.18 million or 78 percent of excess deaths due to heat will occur in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

Since 1990, carbon emissions from the richest 1 percent have caused global economic output to drop by $2.9 trillion. By 2050, this will rise to $52.6 trillion, equivalent to a 0.5 percent loss of global cumulative GDP over that period. The heaviest economic toll will fall on the countries least responsible for climate change.

According to the International Organization for Migration, as many as 1 billion people could be displaced by the climate crisis by 2050. The frequency and intensity of these events is rising as a direct result of climate change.

Contact information:

Interviews are available, please reach out to [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]

Oxfam responds in Bangladesh and Myanmar as Cyclone Mocha leaves a trail of destruction

Super cyclonic storm Mocha made a landfall in Myanmar’s Rakhine state area, reaching a speed of 250 kmph, and crossing low lying areas including Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh on Sunday.   

According to initial reports, the impact of the powerful storm killed at least 8 people abd caused extensive destruction to infrastructure in the western Myanmar region, where thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have been living in camps.   

Oxfam and partners are currently assessing the scale of devastation to mount a humanitarian response to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities, as well as emergency cash and food.
     
“Our teams in Sittwe faced terrifying winds which damaged homes, toppled trees and disrupted power and communication lines. The cyclone has devastated the IDP camps in Rakhine. Connection with our staff resumed this afternoon and are steadily receiving new reports, adding to the scale of devastation,” said Rajan Khosla, Oxfam Country Director in Myanmar.  

Even before the cyclone, an estimated 6 million people were already in need of humanitarian aid in the states where the cyclone hit (Rakhine, Chin, Magway and Sagaing). Khosla, Oxfam, said that the need for essentials like shelter, clean water, sanitation will only rise.    

“The cyclone will immensely impact existing displaced people and particularly communities in Rakhine, and Chin. More resources are required, and we call on the international community to provide adequate funds required to help them live a life of dignity,” said Rajan Khosla.  

“We are working with local partners for response. Our emergency response team is ready for deployment to Sittwe, will be on their way as soon as the flight resumes to operate, and will start an immediate response,” he added. 

In Bangladesh, while the cyclone veered away its path, the strong winds blew away the temporary bamboo homes in Teknaf area of Cox’s Bazar.   
 
“It is a relief that the cyclone passed away without causing loss of life in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar. But the makeshift infrastructure in the camps could not withstand the strong winds. We have already started our response. We distributed cash to communities ahead of the storm and provided clean water for families to survive the night. Oxfam’s main relief efforts will focus on our area of expertise: providing safe water for people, as well as sanitation supplies and public health support to help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases,” said Ashish Damle, Oxfam Country Director in Bangladesh. 

Oxfam is working closing with local communities, partners, and authorities to ensure coordination of efforts, and the safety and well-being of those residing in the camps in Bangladesh.  

Cox’s Bazar camp fire: Oxfam responding with food and shelter

A fire that swept through Rohingya refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, on Sunday has left 12,000 people homeless and in urgent need of shelter, water, sanitation, and medical services. Oxfam is mounting a response to provide immediate food and shelter to impacted people.  

“In a matter of hours, thousands of bamboo and tarpaulin shelters were destroyed along with few primary health centres, local schools, and community spaces. Thousands of families were forced to spend the night under the open sky, many without any food or water,” said Ashish Damle, Oxfam Country Director in Bangladesh.

The fire started on Sunday afternoon around 2:45 pm local time (9:45 PM NZST) in camp 11 and quickly spread to adjacent camps. While no casualties were reported, the full extent of the damage is being assessed.

“This is the second major fire that hit Rohingya camps since 2021. It took years of relief efforts to bring a semblance of normalcy to the lives of people after the first fire. To the Rohingya refugees this is a déjà vu of loss and suffering,” added Damle.  

Oxfam team is working closely with partners on the ground, assessing people’s needs; and preparing to provide most affected people with immediate food, shelter, water, and sanitation.  

Oxfam International is collaborating with community leaders, local authorities, and other partners on the ground to conduct long-term needs assessments for those affected.  

Türkiye aid dwindling in spite of dire conditions

One month on from the earthquakes that struck Türkiye killing over 45,000 people and destroying hundreds of thousands of buildings and major infrastructure, aid and donations for survivors has sharply declined in spite of continuing urgent needs.

Hundreds of thousands of families are residing in informal settlements to stay close to homes that have been destroyed, where there is little to no access to water and basic sanitation, shelter, and food. Women and children are affected disproportionately, with many fearing for their safety. Oxfam spoke with one woman who delivered a baby in a tent and had not received any medical support 10 days after giving birth.

In an area with a population of 15.2 million, almost 2 million people have evacuated from earthquake affected areas with government support or through their own means, straining the local economy and available safe housing across the country. Those who remain have no recourse but to stay outside, fearing returning indoors due to continuing aftershocks that continue to damage homes and infrastructure. The areas affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye include a large Syrian refugee population, who have already endured displacement.

Oxfam in Türkiye is coordinating with a network of grassroots women’s organisations and cooperatives, volunteers, civil society actors, and public authorities to rapidly provide food, clean water, showers, hygiene products, and blankets, and to facilitate setting up shelters. With Oxfam, women’s cooperatives are operating community kitchens and providing food to people everyday. Oxfam is also initiating the repair of water reservoirs to ensure access to clean water and setting up of toilets and showers.

In the coming months, Oxfam intends to support 1.4 million people living in the areas most affected by the earthquake by providing access to food, restoring water systems, and supporting people’s livelihoods through training and financial support.