Excluding ammunition from new international Arms Trade Treaty would be "totally irrational" Global sales of ammunition are worth more than $4bn and are growing at a faster rate than trade in guns, yet there is virtually no regulation in place to control where the bullets end up, according to international agency Oxfam, in a new report today. The report, 'Stop a Bullet, Stop a War,' has been published ahead...

"Oxfam welcomes the Government's announcement that it has abandoned plans to cap tax relief on charitable donations."    "Oxfam supports progressive taxation policies in the UK, and elsewhere, that put more of the burden of tax on those who can best afford it. We believe the government's priority must be to raise sufficient tax revenues to deliver the essential public services that its citizens...

In response to the FAO's report "Towards The Future We Want: End Hunger And Make The Transition to Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems", which argues that eradicating hunger should be at the heart of sustainable development, Oxfam's Chief Executive Barbara Stocking said: "We welcome the FAO report which rightly places the need to address the scandal of global hunger if we are to develop in a...

Celine Charveriat, Oxfam advocacy and campaigns director said:  "At the Bonn UN climate talks, no progress was made to deliver the financial support that the world's poorest and most vulnerable need to deal with the growing impacts of climate change. It is now vital that, at the next UN climate summit in Qatar in November, rich countries commit to an initial US$10-15 billion to the Green Climate Fund between 2013 and 2015,...

Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic food crisis, seven aid agencies said today with 10 million people - 44 percent of the population - without enough food to eat.  The aid agencies warned that malnutrition rates recorded by the UN in some parts of the country were alarming, with one in three children severely malnourished. Ministers from the UK, Saudi Arabia and other countries are set to meet at...

International agency Oxfam warned that today's announcement of the "New Alliance to Increase Food and Nutrition Security" focuses too heavily on the role of the private sector to tackle the complex challenges of food insecurity in the developing world. The organization called instead for G8 leaders to keep the promises they have already made to help developing countries invest in sustainable solutions to hunger and poverty.   ...

Ahead of the 65th World Health Assembly (WHA), taking place in Geneva next week, International agency Oxfam has warned that the fundamental role of the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the leading agency for global health is at risk because it has suffered from a severe financial crisis and related heavy staff losses. At a time when demands on the WHO are increasing, Member State contributions are falling, which could ultimately...

In Baaba Maal's new role as Oxfam Ambassador he urged the world to respond to the food crisis in West and Central Africa before it is too late, having just returned from visiting communities in Senegal. Baaba Maal said: 'In February I travelled to Mauritania with Oxfam and was shocked by how bad things were. But I have just returned from a neighboring region of Senegal and found that already things are so much worse. As well as...

In Chicago, NATO must agree to commitments to ensure all Afghan forces can uphold law and order for Afghan men and women and children. Twenty leading international and Afghan NGOs today called on NATO and the Afghan government to agree commitments ensure Afghan National Security Forces are able to protect civilians and are held accountable if they commit abuses or violate international law. The agencies also warn...