A forest in south-western France in the aftermath of devastating wildfires where the trees are few and have no leaves, the ground is reduced to dust. Yellow text reads "First responders".

Oxfam

The ultra-rich are setting the planet on fire and then charging the rest of us for the extinguishers.”

Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International Executive Director

First responders: on the frontlines of the climate crisis

First Responders is a new four-part short documentary series exploring the human stories behind Oxfam’s annual climate inequality report. Across four films, we will feature communities in different parts of the world.

The ultra-rich are setting the planet on fire and then charging the rest of us for the extinguishers.”

Amitabh Behar, Oxfam International Executive Director

The series reveals how climate disasters deepen existing inequalities and is driving people to become the 'first responders'.

In Oxfam's 2026 report Disaster Divide: How climate chaos deepens inequality and enriches the few we’ve focused on the vastly different ways in which people experience and recover from the consequences of climate change.

Who are the first responders?

Those who have contributed least to the climate crisis are often hit hardest, left to protect their communities and rebuild their lives with limited resources.

Their stories show the strength, resilience and collective action of people on the frontlines of climate disasters, while exposing the divide between those who bear the greatest costs, those who are able to recover, and those who stand to profit from destruction.

Drawing on Oxfam’s work in more than 70 countries, First Responders demonstrates the need for a fairer world, where the people least responsible for the climate crisis are no longer left to bear its greatest costs.

France: The new age of wildfires

Coming soon

Three more films will be released drawing attention to the climate crisis and the people on the frontlines.

More First Responders will be coming soon.

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