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Over 40 NGOs warn of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Somalia and urge donors to urgently fund the UN appeal

7.7 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, as 98% of Somalia’s humanitarian appeal remains severely underfunded

Oxfam, together with over 40 NGOs representing the Somali NGO Consortium urged donors to immediately fund the current the current UN humanitarian appeal for Somalia, in order to prevent a full-scale humanitarian catastrophe. 

In an open letter to donors and the international community the signatories said:

We, the undersigned organisations, are deeply concerned for the lives of millions of Somalis facing a severe food crisis and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. We call upon all donors including institutional donors, corporates, foundations, and individual philanthropic donors to urgently fund the current UN humanitarian appeal in order to respond to the escalating drought crisis in Somalia before it is too late.

Currently, 98 percent of the UN humanitarian appeal for Somalia of 1.46 billion USD has yet to be met and remains severely underfunded.

7.7 million people in various locations across Somalia are currently witnessing a shocking increase in humanitarian needs as the rains fail for a third consecutive season – possibly the worst drought in 40 years. Of those, an estimated 3.2 million people – in 66 out of 74 districts – are already suffering from a worsening drought. 1.4 million people will also be displaced in the coming months, congesting already overcrowded displacement camps and generating conflict over resources. Moreover, diarrhoea is spreading due to lack of sufficient clean water and hygiene services.

Malnutrition is on the rise across the most drought-affected states, as experts warn of a risk of famine as predictions for the next rainy season are worrying. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations reports that the drought severity has notably worsened since December 2021 and will continue to worsen. Local humanitarian leaders are saying that they have never seen such a drought; and that their biggest concern is an imminent famine if funds are not immediately received.

Despite this unprecedented need, only less than 2% (26.3m USD) of the total UN humanitarian appeal needed to respond to the Somali crisis has been funded to date.  A few donors have contributed so far: CERF (mostly Norway), the US Government, Germany, the EU, Canada, and Switzerland. Whilst we acknowledge that the overall humanitarian appeal tends to increase as the year progresses, we know that financing early prevents a catastrophe from happening and a costly response later and saves lives. The next few months are thus extremely critical to urgently respond to the needs on the ground.

In 2011, despite the warnings, the international humanitarian system did too little too late and an estimated 260.000 people lost their lives to a famine.  We must make sure that history does not repeat itself. By contrast, in 2017 the international community responded in force to the same indicators and averted widespread disaster, the same scale of response is needed again.

We, local and international NGOs, stand ready to increase our response to meet the need. Many of us, thanks to donor support and private funding, are already scaling up our existing programming to better meet the people’s needs. However, we cannot respond to the escalating crisis without a sharp increase in funds by donors.

We urge you to increase your commitments, cut and/or reduce red tapes to release and allocate funds. The time to act is now.

Signatories

  1. ACTED
  2. ActionAid International Somaliland
  3. Action Against Hunger
  4. Aid Vision
  5. AVSI Foundation
  6. Candlelight for Environment, Education and Health
  7. CARE
  8. Catholic Relief Services
  9. Centre for Peace and Democracy (CPDD)
  10. Cesvi Fondazione (CESVI)
  11. CISP – International Committee for the Development of Peoples
  12. Danish Refugee Council
  13. Development Action Network – DAN
  14. Development Now Initiative
  15. Diakonia
  16. Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe -DKH
  17. GREDO
  18. Humanitarian Translation for Somalia
  19. International Medical Corps (IMC)
  20. International Rescue Committee (IRC)
  21. Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW)
  22. Juba Foundation
  23. Life & Peace Institute (LPI)
  24. MEDAIR
  25. Mercy Corps
  26. Nagaad Women’s Network
  27. Nexus Platform
  28. Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC)
  29. Oxfam
  30. Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH)
  31. SSWC
  32. SADO
  33. Save the Children
  34. Social Empowerment Rehabilitation and Development Org. (SERDO)
  35. Somali Lifeline Organization (SOLO)
  36. Somali Women and Child Care Association (SWCCA)
  37. Sustainable Development & Peace building Initiatives (SYPD)
  38. Taakulo Somali Community (Taakulo)
  39. Volunteers for Relief and Development  (VRD)
  40. WASDA
  41. Welthungerhilfe (WHH)
  42. World Concern
  43. World Vision International
  44. ZamZam Foundation

 

Notes

Figures on humanitarian need and hunger levels are based on latest  UN OCHA in Somalia website  and UNICEF Somalia Humanitarian Situation Report No. 11  as of November 2021

Oxfam and Save the Children “Dangerous Delay” report was published in 2011: https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/a-dangerous-delay-the-cost-of-late-response-to-early-warnings-in-the-2011-droug-203389/  

Contact information

Spokespersons are available for interviews. Please contact:

In Somalia : Abdi Azizi  | Senior Advocacy & Communications Officer | [email protected]

Massive cuts in public spending and regressive taxes fuelling inequality in East Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions into poverty and dramatically increased inequality in East Africa, but not all are equally affected. 52 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa were projected to be pushed into extreme poverty between 2019 and 2021. But today, the richest 10 per cent of East Africans are earning an average of 47 per cent of pre-tax national income across the region. Meanwhile, the poorest 50 per cent of citizens earn 13.3 per cent of national income.

Instead of taxing the wealthy, East African governments are planning to slash their public spending on pro-poor services like healthcare, education, agriculture and social protection in the coming years.

These cuts will worsen East Africa’s economic crisis, and deepen poverty and inequality in the region, but it is not too late to change direction – says the latest edition of Oxfam and DFI’s Commitment to Reducing Inequality Index (CRII) report. Titled “The Inequality Crisis in East Africa,” the new report will be launched publicly at an international forum of government, civil society, private sector and donor representatives from East Africa and beyond, in Nairobi on 9th February, 2022.

Parvin Ngala, Regional Director (Interim) of Oxfam Horn, East and Central Africa, says:

“With these spending cuts, the region and respective countries risk spiralling into a never-ending cycle of inadequate health services, poor education facilities, economic decline with women and youth caught at the centre of the fall out/unable to maximise and indeed shape the future that the continent has potential for.”

East African countries have seen impressive economic growth in the past two decades, and significant reductions in poverty in most of the countries. But three have seen a widening gap between the richest and the poorest, and there has been little progress in reducing inequality in the other countries.

The pandemic, compounded by locust infestations and climate crises across East Africa, has brought the region’s worst economic crisis in decades, with millions losing their incomes, working hours, and education; exacerbating poverty, inequality and food insecurity:

  • Over 60 per cent of citizens reported losing income or work due to the pandemic, according to surveys from four East African countries.
  • The pandemic will push 11 million people into poverty in DRC, 6 million in Tanzania and 2.4 million in Uganda, according to UN estimates.
  • Some 900,000 Rwandans or 7 per cent of the population will have fallen into poverty by 2021, according to the World Bank.
  • 1 million people in Kenya and 3.8 million people in Somalia are at risk of starvation due to drought.

According to the report, COVID-19 revealed that East African countries were unprepared for a pandemic. They had:

  • limited access to essential health services – reaching less than 60 per cent of the population in all countries;
  • an average of 7 per cent of people spending catastrophic proportions (more than 10 per cent) of their income on healthcare;
  • limited commitment to spending on healthcare, with under 10 per cent of government budgets dedicated to health in almost all countries;
  • extremely low access to social protection benefits (using pension coverage as a proxy), with only 10.5 per cent coverage on average, and under 10 per cent in six countries;[1]
  • very low social protection spending of only 7 per cent of budgets (only 40 per cent of the global average);
  • an average of only 20 per cent of workers on formal contracts, therefore having rights to sick pay, job protection etc.

During the COVID-19 crisis, many governments increased their spending on health and social protection. But now they have long-term plans to slash public spending, which are being encouraged by lending bodies such as the IMF. From 2022 to 2026, five East African countries plan to reduce annual public spending by $4.7bn compared to 2021, IMF projections indicate. According to “The Inequality Crisis in East Africa,” not implementing these cuts would allow East African countries to quadruple health spending from now until 2026.

In South Sudan, where military generals outnumber doctors, health spending could rise by 13 times if these spending cuts are reversed. On the other hand, the cuts threaten to hamstring the abilities of East African governments to spend on health, education, social protection and food security so as to protect and support those marginalised by the pandemic and the economic crisis.

Matthew Martin, Director of Development Finance International, says:

“All the countries of the region are nowhere near reaching their national development goals on education, health and social protection. If these cuts are allowed to happen, this will mean East Africa is abandoning all hope of reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and allowing extreme inequality to grow unchecked.”

To make matters worse, most East African governments have been forced to use more and more of their budgets to service their ballooning debts, rather than investing in their people. The report notes that from 2020 to 2021, 35.2 per cent of government revenues in East Africa were spent on debt repayment, an average of five times as much as they spent on health. South Sudan spent 28 times as much on debt servicing as they spent on health.

So, what can be done to reverse this crisis?

According to DFI and Oxfam, the report shows that taxing wealthy East Africans and corporations would give governments a way out of the crisis, and allow them spend more on public services that reduce inequality. Surveys from Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda show that over 71 per cent of citizens think it is fair to tax the rich more to fund programmes that benefit people living in poverty. If East African governments increase their tax revenues by just 1 per cent of their GDP, they would raise an additional $4.9bn each year for the next five years, which would be enough to raise health spending by an average of 77 per cent annually.

DFI and Oxfam also argue that comprehensive debt relief is essential for many countries in the region to have enough money to increase spending on basic services

Matthew Martin, Director of Development Finance International, says:

“All countries in the region need to increase taxes on the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations, and stop giving them tax exemptions. But this alone will not produce anywhere near enough money to fund universal free health care, education, social protection, food and water. External creditors should cancel all debt payments between now and 2030 to help pay for these basic needs.”

DFI and Oxfam recommend that East African governments urgently:

  • reverse the planned budget cuts and increase spending for health, education and social protection.
  • fund these enhanced spending efforts by increasing taxes on the wealthiest individuals and largest corporations and ending wasteful tax exemptions.
  • dramatically improve labour rights, including introducing or raising minimum wages.

They also recommend that the IMF and World Bank should transform their lending programmes to encourage East African countries to increase pro-poor and social spending, redistribute wealth through progressive taxation, and enhance labour laws and protections.

They urge the international community to accelerate the distribution of free COVID-19 vaccines to all East African countries, to ensure high levels of vaccine coverage by June 2022; and to cancel all debt service obligations between now and 2030, in order to allow East African countries to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.

Finally, DFI and Oxfam recommend that the African Union and East African Community urgently recognise their members’ inequality crises, and establish a plan and monitoring systems to track government measures to reduce inequality.

 

Notes to editors

Download the “The Inequality Crisis in East Africa,” report here after Feb 9, 2022 at 00:01 EAT.

The report launch event will take place on 9th February, 2022 at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (Abadares conference hall) in Nairobi, Kenya, and have in attendance dignitaries including (remote or physical):

  1. E. Dr. Abdirahman Dualeh Beileh, Minister of Finance, Federal Government of Somalia (Keynote address)
  2. Haji Farhiya Ali – Senator, Deputy Majority Chief Whip, & member of Committee on Finance and Budget (Kenya)
  3. Eric Wafukho – Chief Administrative Secretary, The National Treasury and Planning Ministry
  4. Usher Wilson Owere – Chairman General, The National Organisation of Trade Unions (Uganda) (remote)
  5. Jason Rosario Braganza – Executive Director, AFRODAD
  6. Filbert Baguma – General Secretary, Uganda National Teachers’ Union (remote)
  7. Gilbert Wangalwa – Deputy Country Director – Amref Health Africa
  8. Alvin Mosioma – Executive Director, The Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA)
  9. Tang Xiaoyang – Vice Chair, Department of International Relations | Tsinghua University (remote)

[1] Pension coverage is used as a proxy because data on overall social protection coverage are not available for all countries.

Tough, urgent choices for African leaders as they launch “Year of Nutrition” to help millions of people facing hunger

African governments should boost funding for agriculture, address peace and security challenges, and do more to genuinely tackle inequality.

African Union leaders face one of their most important summits (Feb 5-6) in launching a “year of nutrition” amid worsening levels of hunger and malnutrition that are now threatening sustainable development across the entire continent.

One in five people (282m) is now under-nourished and 93 million in 36 African countries are suffering extreme levels of hunger. Women and children are hit hardest. In Sub-Saharan Africa, one in three children under five is stunted by chronic undernutrition while two out of five women of childbearing age are anaemic because of poor diets.

The UN estimates that food prices in Sub-Saharan Africa are now 30-40% higher than the rest of the world, taking into account comparative levels of GDP per capita.

“The triple threat of the climate crisis, COVID-19, and conflict will require an extraordinary response from African leaders. Many countries have already taken important steps, increasing investment in healthcare, providing shock responsive social protection systems and empowering local, women-led, peacebuilding initiatives. However, such actions are still too few and far between,” said Oxfam’s Pan-African Program Director Peter Kamalingin.

“People are having to skip meals to feed their children, selling livestock and other assets, begging, pulling children out of school, or harvesting immature crops. Over three million people in Somalia have recently migrated, in large part because of hunger, while millions of households in pastoralist communities in Chad, Benin, Niger, Mali and Mauritania say they are having to sell more animals than they otherwise would to pay for more food”, said Kamalingin.

Historical injustices, inequality and wealth extraction have left generations of Africans poor and national economies indebted. Africa has stood last in line for Covid vaccines as the rich world hogged supplies. The continent has also been hit hardest by climate change and is already heating at a faster rate than the global average of 1.2 degrees.

“While the deck seems stacked against Africa, there is a lot more that African leaders can do to improve food security. Instead of allocating 15% of national budgets to the health sector and 10% to agriculture, military spending across Africa rose by over 5% in 2020. African’s leaders must prioritize food, trade and medicines over bullets, guns and bombs” said Kamalingin.

Twenty African countries are today facing insecurity and conflict including seven coups in the last year alone. In Ethiopia—the home of the AU—conflict has contributed to catastrophic levels of food insecurity in the Tigray, Amhara and Afar regions.

“AU leaders must make better, more effective use of all existing mechanisms they have to prevent and resolve conflicts,” said Kamalingin.

Here are how regions have been impacted:

  • The Horn of Africa is experiencing one of its most severe droughts in 40 years, following three back-to-back poor rainy seasons, and there are active conflicts across Ethiopia and Somalia. Nearly 15 million people are suffering from extreme hunger and severe water shortages.
  • In West Africa, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance could rise to 35.7 million during the lean season from June to August 2022.
  • In Southern Africa, communities in southern Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, and Malawi are struggling to cope with the cumulative consequences of climatic shocks and COVID-19 economic shocks. Until the 2022 harvest begins in April, many countries, including Madagascar, will continue to rely on food assistance. 

Farmers and pastoralists have been particularly hit by food insecurity. Droughts on the continent have decimated thousands of hectares of crops and depleted livestock, often a primary source of income. COVID-19 restrictions have caused delays in the trade of critical agricultural inputs like fertilizer.

Jean-Paul Ndopoye, president of the Union des Riziculteurs de Paoua (URP) in the Central African Republic told Oxfam: “Our major problem is the sale of farm products. With the security crisis and the calamitous state of the roads, we can no longer travel to sell these products in neighboring towns and countries such as Chad. Our wish is to be connected to profitable marketing channels to sell all these products.”

Achta Bintou, who was displaced from her home and now lives in the Amma site in Lake Chad told Oxfam: “Today, the crisis has completely changed our lives. We had to move from Boma to the Amma site where we live in a makeshift shelter that barely hides the sun. Our water is not drinkable and we cannot get enough to eat. Imagine your diet dropping from three meals a day to one.”

Ahead of the Africa Union Summit, Oxfam calls upon African leaders to:

  • Meet the targets laid out in the 2014 Malabo Declaration to halve poverty and end hunger by 2025 by increasing agricultural investment to at least 10% of government budgets; encouraging women and youth in agricultural businesses and boosting intra-African agricultural trade.
  • Develop national agricultural investment plans that are gender-sensitive and climate-proof, which seek primarily to support small-scale farmers in non-cash crop sectors.
  • Commit to non-violent conflict resolution and enforce the African Peace and Security mechanisms that prevent and resolve conflict. They should ensure that international humanitarian law is respected in conflicts and condemn human rights violations and bring perpetrators to account.
  • Ensure that safe humanitarian access is granted to those most in need.
  • Adopt the draft Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Citizens to Social Protection and Social Security and encourage member states to sign and ratify it, in order to ensure universal access to adequate food and nutrition and to address vulnerability and inequality.
  • Ensure national humanitarian organizations at the forefront of addressing the hunger crisis, are at heart and centre of the political effort to resolve it. 
  • Drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic injustices, and collectively investing in partnerships that secure long-term health for Africans, including allocating 15% of annual budgets to health as per the Abuja declaration.
  • Redouble Africa’s political voice to urge heavy carbon emitters, like China and the United States, to reduce their emissions, pay for the loss and damage that the climate crisis is causing in Africa, and to support Africa in mitigating the impact of climate change.

Notes

  • Oxfam has reached nearly 12 million of the most vulnerable across 22 countries in Africa with lifesaving support including clean water, food, and cash. In addition, together with our local partners, we work on gender, climate, and income generation programs to help people rebuild their lives, demand for their rights and cope with the devastating impact of climate change.
  • The number of people unable to afford a healthy diet in Africa is 1 billion, or one third of the global figure. Source: FAO et al., “State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2021”
  • FAO figures on the prevalence of undernourishment in Africa (including N. Africa) = 21% in 2020, up from 17% in 2015. That translates to 282 million people, up from 200 million in 2015. Ibid.
  • Figures of “nearly one out of five Africans experienced hunger in 2020 – more than double the proportion of any other region” from Policy Brief: Africa and Food Security. United Nations, Office of the Special Adviser on Africa October 2021
  • Figures on extreme coping mechanisms are from WFP food security analysis monitoring survey. Data is collected on a rolling basis. For more details on the methodology kindly check the Hunger Map
  • Figures of sub-Saharan women being anaemic and children under five being stunted is from the Global Report on Nutrition 2021.
  • The number of African countries facing conflict based on figures from Uppsala Data Conflict Program and International Crisis Group reports.
  • State of Climate in Africa https://public.wmo.int/en/our-mandate/climate/wmo-statement-state-of-global-climate/Africa
  • Data on arms sending and conflict in Africa from SIPRI trends in World Military Expenditure 2020
  • Food price figures from OECD report. Also, in the 20 Sub-Saharan African countries for which there is monthly price data, food prices were up 11% in October 2021 as compared to a year earlier.

Carbon emissions of richest 1% set to be 30 times the 1.5°C limit in 2030

The carbon footprints of the richest 1 per cent of people on Earth are set to be 30 times greater than the level compatible with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement in 2030, according to new research out today. It comes as delegates grapple with how to keep this goal alive at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow.

In 2015, governments agreed to the goal of limiting global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, but current pledges to reduce emissions fall far short of what is needed. To stay within this guardrail, every person on Earth would need to emit an average of just 2.3 tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030 – this is roughly half the average footprint of every person on Earth today.

Today’s study, commissioned by Oxfam based on research carried out by the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), estimates how governments’ pledges will affect the carbon footprints of richer and poorer people around the world. It treats the global population and income groups as if they were a single country. It finds that by 2030:

  • The poorest half of the global population will still emit far below the 1.5°C-aligned level in 2030.
  • The richest 1 per cent and 10 per cent of people are set to exceed this level by 30 times and 9 times respectively.
  • Someone in the richest 1 per cent would need to reduce their emissions by around 97 per cent compared with today to reach this level.

But in a sign that the 2015 Paris Agreement is having some impact, the middle 40 per cent are on course for per capita emissions cuts of 9 per cent from 2015 to 2030. This is a turnaround for a group, which is mostly made up of citizens in middle-income countries like China and South Africa that saw the fastest per capita emissions growth rates from 1990 to 2015.

Looking at total global emissions, instead of per capita emissions, the richest 1 per cent – fewer people than the population of Germany – are expected to account for 16 per cent of total global emissions by 2030, up from 13 per cent in 1990 and 15 per cent in 2015. The total emissions of the richest 10 per cent alone are set to exceed the 1.5°C-aligned level in 2030, regardless of what the other 90 per cent do.

Nafkote Dabi, Climate Policy Lead at Oxfam, said: “The emissions from a single billionaire space flight would exceed the lifetime emissions of someone in the poorest billion people on Earth. A tiny elite appear to have a free pass to pollute. Their over-sized emissions are fuelling extreme weather around the world and jeopardising the international goal of limiting global heating. The emissions of the wealthiest 10 per cent alone could send us beyond the agreed limit in the next nine years. This would have catastrophic results for some of the most vulnerable people on Earth who are already facing deadly storms, hunger and destitution.”

The geography of global carbon inequality is set to change too, with a larger share of the emissions of the world’s richest 1 per cent and 10 per cent linked to citizens in middle income countries. By 2030, Chinese citizens will be responsible for almost a quarter (23 per cent) of the emissions of the richest 1 per cent, US citizens for a fifth (19 per cent) and Indian citizens for a tenth (11 per cent).

Tim Gore, author of this briefing and Head of the Low Carbon and Circular Economy programme at IEEP, said: “The global emissions gap to keep the 1.5°C Paris goal alive is not the result of the consumption of most of the world’s people: it reflects instead the excessive emissions of just the richest citizens on the planet. To close the emissions gap by 2030, it is necessary for governments to target measures at their richest, highest emitters – the climate and inequality crises should be tackled together. That includes both measures to constrain luxury carbon consumption like mega yachts, private jets and space travel, and to curb climate-intensive investments like stock-holdings in fossil fuel industries.”

Emily Ghosh, Scientist at Stockholm Environment Institute says: “Our research highlights the challenge of ensuring a more equitable distribution of the remaining and rapidly diminishing global carbon budget. If we continue on the same trajectory as today the stark inequalities in income and emissions across the global population will remain, challenging the equity principle at the very heart of the Paris Agreement. Analysis of carbon inequality must urgently be put at the centre of governments efforts to reduce emissions.”

Oxfam said world leaders should focus on targeting deeper emissions cuts by 2030, in line with their fair share, and ensure that the richest people worldwide and within countries make the most radical cuts. The richest citizens have the potential to speed up this process dramatically, both by leading greener lifestyles but also by directing their political influence and investments towards a low-carbon economy.

Notes to editors:

For a copy of the briefing see: Carbon Inequality in 2030: Per capita consumption emissions and the 1.5C goal

The report was commissioned by Oxfam and authored by Tim Gore, IEEP, based on research carried out by IEEP and SEI.

Today’s briefing is based on an analysis of the impact of unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted up to September 2021 under the Paris Agreement on the per capita consumption emissions of different global income groups.

Global income groups

Estimated consumption emissions per person in 2030 (tonnes CO2 per year)

Number of times over the level of per capita emissions consistent with 1.5°C (2.3 tonnes)

Richest 1%

70

x30

Richest 10%

21

x9

Middle 40%

5

x2

Poorest 50%

1

x0.43 (less than half)

 

The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2021 estimates that total global emissions will need to fall to approximately 18 Gt CO2 (25 Gt CO2e) per year by 2030, on a pathway to net zero emissions by mid-century, in order to have a reasonable chance of limiting global heating to 1.5°C. This works out to approximately 2.3 tonnes CO2 per person per year (per capita emissions) in 2030.

By 2030, the global population is projected to be approximately 7.9 billion people. This will comprise approximately 80 million people in the top 1 per cent, 800 million in the top 10 per cent, 3.4 billion in the ‘middle 40 per cent’ and 4 billion in the poorest 50 per cent.

By 2030, you would need an annual income of more than NZD 255,000 to be in the richest 1 per cent; more than NZD 82,000 to be in the richest 10 per cent; more than NZD 14,500 to be in the middle 40 per cent; or less than NZD 14,500 to be in the poorest half of the global population.

This briefing builds on last year’s report from Oxfam and SEI which estimated that the richest 1 per cent of people on Earth is responsible for twice the carbon emissions of the poorest 50 per cent from 1990 to 2015.

Carbon emissions per passenger for an 11-minute space flight are estimated to be at least 75 tonnes, according to a recent report by Lucas Chancel. People in the poorest billion emit less than one tonne of carbon per year.

The Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) is a sustainability Think Tank working with stakeholders across EU institutions, international bodies, academia, civil society and industry. Our team of economists, scientists and lawyers produce evidence-based research and policy insight (www.ieep.eu).

The Stockholm Environment Institute is an international non-profit research and policy organisation that tackles environment and development challenges.

Our obligation to the people of Afghanistan

In an open letter to the minister of foreign affairs (see below), more than 60 civil society organisations and leading individuals call with one voice for the government to increase its efforts when it comes to the crisis in Afghanistan. The call comes as needs grow by the hour, and risks to those on the ground continue to escalate.

The UN Flash appeal on Monday September 13 called for US$600 million to support approximately 11 million people to the end of the year. On Friday last week there was a commitment to $3 million in humanitarian assistance, further to an initial $3 million announced on August 20. The commitment is welcome, however, when it came to the Asian tsunami, New Zealand gave $60 million in new and extra aid. 

Governments around the world have stepped up, both in giving as well as preparing pathways of settlement for the thousands in need of safe refuge. Sadly, New Zealand is not among the leaders when it comes to international efforts. Beyond the initial strict evacuation criteria, there has been no concrete commitment to support those fleeing the country in need of refuge. There has been no concrete commitment to support evacuation and resettlement of the family members of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Afghan community. In fact, despite the rapidly deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, it was not considered a priority to expedite visa applications of Afghan family members already in the system.

It is not yet too late for us to “up our game”, and the situation certainly requires it. 

Our ask is simple: we say the government must become a leader of international efforts. We need more action on aid and pathways of resettlement. We call for concrete measures to enact the prime minister’s commitment “to reassure Afghan women and girls that we will closely follow the developments in their country, listen to their voices, and continue to support their rights and opportunities”. We also ask that the government drive agreement in the international community to ensure there is accountability, that the crimes and human rights violations across Afghanistan will not go undocumented and unnoticed, and the rights and protections of each individual will be robustly fought for.

Open letter to Nanaia Mahuta, minister of foreign affairs

Tēnā koe Minister Mahuta,

We write to you as a collective voice of organisations and individuals in Aotearoa advocating for the rights and protection of Afghan nationals. We welcome the statements New Zealand has made at the United Nations and the efforts taken to evacuate people. However, more action is needed. As a society that values compassion and kindness, we need to ensure that our response meets the scale of the crisis. 

The needs in Afghanistan are growing by the hour. Right now, there are compounding crises taking place, including hunger, displacement, conflict and Covid-19. Basic services are collapsing, and aid is running out. There are ongoing reports of gross human rights abuses. Women, children and those who have worked to promote human rights, democracy and education are among the people most at risk. Urgent action is needed to prevent an even greater humanitarian disaster and to ensure that every individual has their rights and dignity upheld. 

We are concerned that, alongside causing anguish, delays in government action and decisions increase risk of harm to those who need aid from, or safe resettlement to, New Zealand. We collectively call on the government to:

1. Urgently increase humanitarian and development support. The government must:

  • At least double aid to Afghanistan to support local organisations; and
  • Increase humanitarian aid to surrounding countries that are taking in refugees.

2. Establish and ensure safe pathways of relocation and resettlement for Afghan nationals to New Zealand.

Over 21,000 people across Aotearoa have come together to call on the government to take action to help people fleeing Afghanistan. We implore the government to:

  • Evacuate the remaining people in Afghanistan left from the initial mission, and include at-risk individuals connected to New Zealand in these efforts;
  • Welcome at least 1,500 Afghan refugees in this year’s (July 1 2021-June 30 2022) current refugee intake, over and above the current refugee resettlement quota commitments, for those at most immediate risk or with connections to Aotearoa;
  • Expedite visa processing of both the refugee family support category (RFSC) visas and critical purpose visitor visas;
  • Create or re-establish additional humanitarian pathways to support the reunification of families of Afghan New Zealanders not already lodged with RFSC; and
  • Utilise and expand the community sponsorship scheme to create more viable routes for people to come to New Zealand.

3. Establish formal mechanisms to liaise and consult meaningfully with the Afghan community here in Aotearoa New Zealand. 

It is essential that the government increases its efforts to listen to, support and provide relief to New Zealand’s Afghan community. We stand with the 6,000 Afghan New Zealanders, many who worry for the safety of their families and neighbours.

4. Lead international efforts. The government must:

  • Take concrete measures to enact the prime minister’s commitment “to reassure Afghan women and girls that we will closely follow the developments in their country, listen to their voices, and continue to support their rights and opportunities”.
  • Drive agreement in the international community to establish a robust investigative mechanism – with a mandate to document, collect and preserve evidence of ongoing crimes and human rights violations across Afghanistan.

Your government is perceived to be one that practises kindness and is committed to collective action for the betterment of humanity, yet other countries have taken significant steps to address the need for international support and assistance, while New Zealand has not. Canada has announced the resettlement of up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals and the UK has committed to accepting 20,000 Afghan refugees. The US is expected to admit 50,000 Afghan refugees and has set aside a US$500 million fund that will help meet urgent migration needs. European countries and our Australian neighbours are also taking steps. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is seeking US$606 million to assist nearly 11 million people during the four remaining months of this year. What is required is an international collaborative effort.

The New Zealand government spent 20 years and hundreds of millions of dollars in military expenditure as part of the international intervention in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to the people of Afghanistan to stand by them now. Be it the provision of aid, or safe pathways to New Zealand, the time for response is immediate and the cost of inaction is high. 

We now call on you to do more. 

We look forward to hearing from you shortly.

Yours sincerely,

  • ActionStation 
  • Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
  • Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Anglican Missions
  • Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition (ARCC)
  • Asylum Support Seekers Trust (ASST)
  • Belong Aotearoa
  • Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
  • ChildFund
  • Christian Churches New Zealand
  • Christian World Service
  • Community Law Centres O Aotearoa
  • Congregational Union of New Zealand
  • Council for International Development
  • ECPAT NZ
  • Fairtrade ANZ
  • Hagar
  • Hazara Afghan Youth Association (HAYA)
  • Hazara Association of New Zealand
  • Methodist Church of New Zealand
  • NZBMS (New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society)
  • Oxfam Aotearoa
  • ReliefAid 
  • Save the Children
  • Tearfund
  • The Gender Justice Collective
  • The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago
  • Tutapona International
  • UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand
  • United Afghan Association of Canterbury
  • Vineyard Churches Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand
  • World Vision New Zealand
  • Alberto Costi, professor, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
  • Amin Vakili, Civil Society Activist and members of the Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
  • Archbishop Don Tamihere, te pihopa o Aotearoa
  • Archbishop Philip Richardson, bishop of Waikato and Taranaki
  • Associate professor Bethan Greener PhD, Massey
  • Blake Dawson, barrister (Brandon Street Chambers)
  • Bridget Crichton (Fa’amatuainu), lecturer, AUT School of Law
  • Carol Peters, PhD, QSM, Whangarei district councillor
  • Dr Arif Ali, Hazara Association of New Zealand and Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington.
  • Dr Charles Mpofu, senior lecturer
  • Dr Marnie Lloydd, lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington
  • Dr Natalia Szablewska, international human rights and humanitarian law expert, Auckland University of Technology
  • Dr Heather Devere, director of practice, Te Ao o Rongmaraeroa/National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
  • Eleanor Holroyd, co-director AUT Centre of Migrant and Refugee Research
  • James Meager, public law solicitor 
  • Jane Verbitsky, associate professor 
  • Javid Nazari, president of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
  • John McBride, Barrister 
  • Marianne Elliott, human rights advocate
  • Mohammad Raqiz Nabizadah, member of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington 
  • Monique van Alphen Fyfe, barrister | Rōia Tūtahi (Stout Street Chambers)
  • Natalie Baird, associate professor, Faculty of Law | Te Kaupeka Ture, University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
  • Nicola Muir, author
  • Paul Rishworth QC
  • Right Reverend Fakaofo Kaio, moderator, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ
  • Shakerah Zakeri, member of the Afghan community
  • Sulaiman Sarwary, PHD student and member of Aotearoa’s Afghan Community 
  • Wendy Aldred, barrister (Stout Street Chambers)

Group of sixty-one organisations, individuals and community members call for urgent action for Afghanistan

An open letter to Hon Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs was submitted today with signatures from 61 organisations, individuals and Afghan community members calling for urgent action for Afghanistan. In the open letter, the group expresses their concern about the delay in Government action:

“The needs in Afghanistan are growing by the hour. Right now, there are compounding crises taking place, including hunger, displacement, conflict, and Covid-19. Basic services are collapsing, and aid is running out. There are ongoing reports of gross human rights abuses. Women, children, and those who have worked to promote human rights, democracy and education, are amongst the people most at risk. Urgent action is needed to prevent an even greater humanitarian disaster and to ensure that every individual has their rights and dignity upheld.” 

Canada has announced the resettlement of up to 20,000 vulnerable Afghan nationals; the UK committed to accepting 20,000 Afghan refugees; the US is expected to admit 50,000 Afghan refugees and has set aside a US$500 million fund which will help meet urgent migration needs; European countries and our Australian neighbours are also taking steps. However, New Zealand has made no such commitments yet. The letter urges the Government to take action, saying:

“Your Government is perceived to be one that practices kindness and is committed to collective action for the betterment of humanity, yet other countries have taken significant steps to address the need for international support and assistance, while New Zealand has not.”

“The New Zealand Government spent 20 years and hundreds of millions of dollars in military expenditure as part of the international intervention in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to the people of Afghanistan to stand by them now. Be it the provision of aid, or safe pathways to New Zealand, the time for response is immediate and the cost of inaction is high.”

Read the open letter here, which includes signatures from the following:

Organisations

  1. ActionStation 
  2. Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
  3. Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand
  4. Anglican Missions
  5. Aotearoa Resettled Community Coalition (ARCC)
  6. Asylum Support Seekers Trust (ASST)
  7. Belong Aotearoa
  8. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand
  9. ChildFund
  10. Christian Churches New Zealand
  11. Christian World Service
  12. Community Law Centres O Aotearoa
  13. Congregational Union of New Zealand
  14. Council for International Development
  15. ECPAT NZ
  16. Fairtrade ANZ
  17. Hagar
  18. Hazara Afghan Youth Association (HAYA)
  19. Hazara Association of New Zealand
  20. Methodist Church of New Zealand
  21. NZBMS (New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society)
  22. Oxfam Aotearoa
  23. ReliefAid 
  24. Save the Children
  25. Tearfund
  26. The Gender Justice Collective
  27. The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago
  28. Tutapona International
  29. UN Women Aotearoa New Zealand
  30. United Afghan Association of Canterbury
  31. Vineyard Churches Aotearoa New Zealand
  32. Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand
  33. World Vision New Zealand

Individuals 

  1. Alberto Costi, Professor, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
  2. Amin Vakili, Civil Society Activist and members of the Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
  3. Archbishop Don Tamihere. Te Pihopa o Aotearoa
  4. Archbishop Philip Richardson, Bishop of Waikato and Taranaki
  5. Associate Professor Bethan Greener PhD, Massey
  6. Blake Dawson, Barrister (Brandon Street Chambers)
  7. Bridget Crichton (Fa’amatuainu), Lecturer, AUT School of Law
  8. Carol Peters, PhD, QSM, Whangarei District Councillor
  9. Dr Arif Ali, Hazara Association of New Zealand and Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington.
  10. Dr Charles Mpofu; Senior Lecturer
  11. Dr Marnie Lloydd, Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington
  12. Dr Natalia Szablewska, International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Expert, Auckland University of Technology  
  13. Dr. Heather Devere, Director of Practice, Te Ao o Rongmaraeroa/National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies
  14. Eleanor Holroyd Co-Director AUT Centre of Migrant and Refugee Research
  15. James Meager, Public Law Solicitor 
  16. Jane Verbitsky Associate Professor 
  17. Javid Nazari, President of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington
  18. John McBride, Barrister 
  19. Marianne Elliott, Human Rights Advocate
  20. Mohammad Raqiz Nabizadah, member of Afghan Cultural Association of Wellington 
  21. Monique van Alphen Fyfe, Barrister | Rōia Tūtahi (Stout Street Chambers)
  22. Natalie Baird, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law | Te Kaupeka Ture, University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha
  23. Nicola Muir, Author
  24. Paul Rishworth QC
  25. Right Reverend Fakaofo Kaio – Moderator Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ
  26. Shakerah Zakeri, member of the Afghan community
  27. Sulaiman Sarwary, PHD student and member of Aotearoa’s Afghan Community 
  28. Wendy Aldred, Barrister (Stout Street Chambers)