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How we work

Linesi Jemusi-8 and Jenifa Alfrea-8 at food distribution centre in the Miolo district, Southern Malawi. Both girls have waited in line for seven hours. Bags of maize flour are being handed out organised by the village leaders. Linesi Jemusi-8 and Jenifa Alfrea-8 at food distribution centre in the Miolo district, Southern Malawi. Both girls have waited in line for seven hours. Bags of maize flour are being handed out organised by the village leaders.
Photo: Jerry Galea/OxfamAUS

Emergencies, whether manmade or natural, occur anywhere in the world, at any time. Right now we are responding to humanitarian emergencies in more than 30 countries. Our work includes:

As a humanitarian advocate, we seek to ensure that the systems and laws designed to protect people in times of conflict (like parts of the Geneva Convention that set out civilians' rights during wars) are upheld and functioning properly. Often this means putting pressure on governments to respect and act according to their obligations.

The most recent principle that Oxfam supports and continues to advocate for is the principle of the responsibility to protect. This principle makes it an obligation upon states and the international community to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

The Australian Government's humanitarian response

Australia provides money and resources for humanitarian relief around the world. It is also a country of asylum for refugees and plays a leading role in the Asia-Pacific region in humanitarian assistance, most recently in Timor-Leste, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

We actively lobby the Australian Government to respond to humanitarian emergencies in an appropriate and timely way and to improve the quantity and quality of its humanitarian assistance.

Reports and articles

Food crises in Africa: an overview (July 2006) (PDF 296kB)
The average number of food crises in Africa has tripled since the 1980s. This paper argues that current approaches to food crises are not working and that action is needed to tackle the underlying causes of hunger and to ensure that emergency interventions are more timely and effective.
Why death and destruction is not nature's fault but human failure (April 2008) (PDF 4MB)
Our experience shows that successful disaster risk reduction policies can save lives and money, making vulnerable communities more resilient and protecting development gains. This report examines how to achieve those goals – and the cost of failure.
After the cyclone: lessons from a disaster (February 2008) (PDF 294kB)
On 15 November 2007, Cyclone Sidr struck thousands of villages across southern Bangladesh, leaving around 4,000 dead and millions homeless. Three months after the disaster the affected communities’ needs remain staggering.
Resiliency in Africa – Global implications (PDF 50kB)
Speech presented by Oxfam Australia Executive Director Andrew Hewett at the ACFID Humanitarian Forum, Melbourne, 17 March 2008.
What Works and What Doesn't? New Directions in Conflict Intervention (PDF 84kB)
Speech presented by Oxfam Australia Executive Director Andrew Hewett at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Sydney, 1 February 2008.
The Protection of civilians, a common denominator (PDF 75kB)
Speech presented by Oxfam Australia Executive Director Andrew Hewett at the conference "Force for Good: 60 Years of Australian Peacekeeping", Canberra, Friday 14 September 2007.

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