Publications

Climate finance in West Africa

In West Africa, and particularly the Sahel, countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis are among those in the world that are most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Millions of West Africans suffer the worst consequences of the climate crisis; in recent years, climate impacts...

: Idrissa Ouedraogo is a farmer in the North Central region of Burkina Faso. His millet, maize and bean crops have dried up due to the lack of rainfall, and his animals no longer have anything to graze on. Credit: Cissé Amadou/ Oxfam

Fixing Our Food

We urgently need to rethink how the world feeds its people. Our unequal global food system is unsustainable for people and planet. In West Africa, we are currently facing the worst food crisis in a decade, with 27 million people going hungry. This number could rise to 38 million – an unprecedented...

Saleye Bourema shows off the corn she will use to prepare a meal for her and her five children. Following attacks by armed groups, her family and herself fled and took refuge in another village. Crédit: Tagaza Djibo /Oxfam

We Must Act Now To Avoid the Worst-Case Scenario

West African countries are facing a worsening and continuous deterioration in food and nutrition security. There are currently 27,344,197 people (an increase of more than 3 million) who need assistance to survive. This figure is a new historical milestone. Never in the last fifteen years have so...

Ghana

Oxfam in Ghana Digest

Oxfam has been in Ghana for over 3 decades and over this period, we have built trusted relationships, piloted innovative programmes that have been taken to scale and together with our partners made concrete changes to legislations, policies and budgets to contribute to a fairer Ghana. Through the...

Africa’s extreme inequality crisis: building back fairer after COVID-19

Africa is facing a crisis of extreme inequality which is undermining growth, preventing poverty eradication and contributing to insecurity. The six richest African billionaires are now wealthier than the poorest 50% of Africans combined. This briefing paper shows that COVID-19 has deepened this...

Accelerating the Fight for Climate Justice in West Africa : Climate Change Strategy 2020-2030

Oxfam in West Africa launched its Climate Justice Strategy in 2020, to help strengthen the resilience of states and communities against climate change and move towards low carbon economies. This strategy is articulated around three objectives that focus our work on addressing the rights of women,...

Tantanon*cooking in the commune of Tori, neighborhood of Aklome in the south of Benin. Credit : Alokpa Kodjovi / Oxfam

Fighting Austerity and the Pandemic - 2021 Edition

While West African governments’ indifference towards inequality would be a tragedy at any time, it is more so during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is worsening inequality. In 2021, when COVID-19 infections are rising in West Africa, the critical support health and socioeconomic programmes put in...

Fatimata lives in a family with her mother-in-law, co-wife and 16 children. Fatimata used to go from house to house, offering household services to local families. When COVID-19 struck, she was told to stay home and lost her income. Credit: Amadou Cisse/ Oxfam

11 People are Likely Dying Every Minute from Hunger, Now Outpacing COVID-19 Fatalities

In a new report released today by Oxfam, the Sahel region of West Africa is experiencing an alarming 67 percent increase in hunger, making it one of the most severe hunger crises in the world. Since Oxfam's last report "The Hunger Virus" in July 2020, the number of people in food crisis has passed...

Aguiratou Ouedraogo is a farmer and mother of 7 children in the village of Soubo, Burkina Faso. Credit: Samuel Turpin/ Oxfam

The Sahel: What needs to change

Le rapport « Sahel : Ce qui doit changer - Pour une nouvelle approche centrée sur les besoins des populations » se fonde sur une nouvelle analyse de données pour établir que les menaces contre les civils n'ont en fait cessé d'augmenter dans la région, malgré les efforts internationaux menés...