Download Oxfam-Diamond Valley Newsletter April 2016

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April 2016 Web: www.oxfamdv.wordpress.com
Email: [email protected]
Oxfam-Diamond Valley
Friday 1 April, 2016 7.30 pm
Nillumbik Living & Learning
Centre, 739 Main Rd, Eltham
Climate Change & the world’s poor
Dr Helen Szoke, Oxfam Australia CEO,
will talk about how decisions made at the
recent international Climate Change
Conference in Paris will affect the world’s
poorest citizens. Members of the public and
of four other eastern suburbs Oxfam groups
are invited.
Oxfam News in brief www.oxfam.org.au/media
4/3: Global scale of El Niño-fuelled
devastation on poor people revealed by
Oxfam in new global map
At least 60 million around the world are now
certain to face worsening hunger and
poverty in 2016 because of El Niño-fuelled
drought and crop failures. The international
community can still help prevent an even
deeper crisis, but it will take more speed,
organisation and resources. Damage is
hitting different countries in different ways,
but the common factor is that many
governments are overwhelmed. Agriculture,
water supplies and food production are
bearing the brunt of the destruction.
While our Government has made
commendable contributions to respond to
drought in PNG and other parts of the
Pacific, as well as Ethiopia and Somalia, the
magnitude of the crisis means that more
funds for immediate humanitarian needs are
urgently needed.
El Niño has ushered in extreme and erratic
weather patterns, primarily very high
temperatures, drought, and some flooding
that have caused havoc, most acutely for
the poor – typically farmers in developing
countries and those who depend on their
crops for food and trade. They don’t have
the same assets or options as rich people.
In Fiji, the impacts of Tropical Cyclone
Winston are compounding existing
vulnerabilities resulting from an El Niño
related drought, with water shortages and
reduced crop outputs. Oxfam also urged
our Government to further invest in longerterm work – such as social protection and
resilience-building programs, as well as
stepping up action on climate change and
ensuring that people are better able to
withstand future crises. This includes setting
a path to reach zero emissions as soon as
possible, in line with global efforts to limit
warming to 1.5C, and providing greater
support to vulnerable countries with
adapting to the impacts of climate change.
“The devastation caused by this El Nino
shows why rich countries need to provide
support now and set ambitious climate
adaptation funding targets. They failed to
do this at the climate change conference in
Paris last year. This can’t wait any longer.”
11/3: Australia needs to step up
diplomatic pressure to protect Syrians
With at least 250,000 people killed in the
past 5 years of conflict and more than 11.4
million forced to flee their homes, the
Turnbull Government must step up
diplomatic pressure to help end the
nightmare war. A group of 30 aid agencies
from around the world is calling on Russia,
the US, France and the UK to safeguard the
glimmer of hope that the recent ceasefire
has brought to the people of Syria. Oxfam
Aust. CEO Helen Szoke: “It is vital that
Australian Government steps up pressure
Oxfam – Diamond Valley Newsletter – April 2016
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April 2016 Web: www.oxfamdv.wordpress.com
Email: [email protected]
on all parties through the UN Security
Council to immediately and permanently end
siege tactics that block aid and leave people
sick and starving, and to stop attacks on
homes, schools and hospitals.”
The fifth year of the crisis has seen the
number of people cut off from food, water
and medical supplies in besieged towns
double. Restrictions on aid access across
government controlled lines in Syria have
meant that only 10% of UN convoys have
got through.
15/3: Photo exhibition brings reality of
Syria crisis home for Australians
Taken by photojournalists working for
Amnesty International, Australian Red
Cross, CARE, Caritas, Oxfam, Save the
Children, Baptist World Aid Australia,
UNICEF Australia and World Vision, the
photos depict the stark realities of life for
desperately hungry people receiving aid in
besieged Syrian towns and Syrian refugees
on the move in bitterly cold Europe. But
they also show moments of hope, like an
image of a young boy flying a kite in Zaatari
refugee camp in Jordan, who wears the
same smile that any young child would wear
when their kite lifts on a breeze.
Download images with captions:
http://wordsandpictures.oxfam.org.au/?
24/3: Equivalent of a quarter of
Australia’s population at risk of famine in
Yemen
Airstrikes, fighting and indiscriminate
shelling so far have killed more than 6,100
people, forced 2.4 million people from their
homes, and left 21.2 million – 82% of the
population – in dire need of humanitarian
aid. Poultry farms have been destrpoyed,
including a chicken hatchery with 2.5 million
hatching eggs, and fishing boats have been
targeted, bringing the fishing industry to a
halt. Airstrikes have also hit main supply
routes, warehouses holding food aid and
vehicles carrying humanitarian supplies,
exacerbating the food crisis.
Australia must wake up to the scale of this
crisis and give humanitarian aid, and push
the warring parties to allow people access to
life-saving food, water. Oxfam has reached
over 730,000 people with clean water, food
vouchers, hygiene kits and other essential
aid since March 2015.
Eastern Suburbs 50th Anniversary
Walk Against Want Sunday May 1
Start / Finish – St John Ambulance Hall,
Elgar Park, Mont Albert North (Melway
47B4). Enter from Elgar Rd. Parking
available.
Walk 6, 13 or 18 km. Cycle 13, 26 or 36 km
along the Koonung Trail.
Start anytime from 9-1pm, but 13 and 18 km
walkers must start before 12 midday.
Free drinks, fruit and biscuits en route,
sausage sizzle at finish.
Bring own water, sunscreen and hat.
Sponsor booklets: Ring Barbara 9720 1703
or if preferred, you can just walk and make a
donation. Consider getting a group together
to mark this 50th Anniversary Walk.
OXFAM – DIAMOND VALLEY MEETINGS
7.30pm 3rd Friday of each month
Nillumbik Living and Learning Centre
739 Main Rd Eltham, Melway Ref 21 J7
OFFICE BEARERS
Meeting Chairman - Stephen Lavender 9439 2063
Meeting Organizers – Cathie Roby
9439 9527
Marguerite Marshall 9439 3232
Carole Wigg
9439 7272
Treasurer & Membership - Louise Currie 9437 1504
Minutes Secretary - Elizabeth Stewart
9459 4429
Book Fair Committee– Stephen or Ruth 9439 2063
Louise Currie
9437 1504
Oxfam – Diamond Valley Newsletter – April 2016