Briefs

Resettling 10 Percent of Syrian Refugees

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is organizing a ‘Highlevel meeting on global responsibility sharing through pathways for admission of Syrian refugees,’ which will be opened by the United Nations Secretary-General in Geneva on March 30, 2016. Oxfam is calling for the states attending the Geneva conference to collectively commit to offer a safe haven through resettlement or other forms of humanitarian admission to at least 10 percent of the refugee population – the equivalent of 481,220 people – by the end of 2016.

Yemen's invisible food crisis

Since March 2015, Yemen has been gripped by a conflict involving different forces including the Houthis, the former president, and the Government of Yemen backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Fuelling the Fire: How the UN Security Council’s Permanent Members are undermining their own commitments on Syria

March 2016 marks five years of upheaval and conflict in Syria – conflict that has reduced lives to shadows and cities to rubble. The Syrian government and its allies, as well as armed opposition and extremist groups, bear the primary and direct responsibility for the horrific reality that Syria’s civilians face on this grim anniversary. They have targeted civilians, laid siege to cities and towns and denied access to life-saving assistance.

This paper examines what the UNSC demands happen in Syria, the situation since March 2015, and significant actions by the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council. In the first months of 2016 and at time of drafting this paper, some progress has been made in securing greater humanitarian access to those in besieged areas and a cessation of hostilities in parts of the country which has resulted in a significant decrease in civilian casualties. These are important steps that should be recognized and built on, but they remain fragile and limited in the context of the overall deterioration experienced by civilians inside Syria over the last horrendous year of violence.

Women's Rights in the Cocoa Sector

Women cocoa farmers are central to the sustainability of the cocoa supply chain and cocoa-growing communities. Although too often unrecognized and undervalued, women’s labor makes significant contributions to the amount of cocoa produced, which is under increasing demand. Empowering women cocoa farmers not only has a positive impact on the lives of women, men and communities, but also has a business advantage. When women have control over their own income or family earnings, they reinvest in their families, children and communities, increasing the well-being and the sustainability of cocoa-growing communities. This report provides examples of emerging good practice to address gender equality in the cocoa sector and where there is potential to make even greater change.

Common Ground: Securing land rights and safeguarding the earth

Up to 2.5 billion people depend on indigenous and community lands, which make up over 50 percent of the land on the planet; they legally own just one-fifth. The remaining five billion hectares remain unprotected and vulnerable to land grabs from more powerful entities like governments and corporations. There is growing evidence of the vital role played by full legal ownership of land by indigenous peoples and local communities in preserving cultural diversity and in combating poverty and hunger, political instability and climate change. The importance of protecting and expanding indigenous and community ownership of land has been a key element in the negotiations of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change, and is central to their successful implementation. This report launches a Global Call to Action on Indigenous and Community Land Rights, backed by more than 300 organizations all over the world. It is a manifesto of solidarity with the ongoing struggles of indigenous peoples and local communities seeking to secure their land rights once and for all.

El Niño in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is facing a massive drought and food insecurity crisis as a result of failed rains and droughts that have been worsened by the 2015 El Niño, which in itself has been supercharged by climate change. Urgent humanitarian action is needed now to support millions of people who have lost food, water and livelihoods, and long-term investment is needed so that communities can become more resilient and reduce their vulnerability to weather events in the future.