Every year, the gap between rich and poor gets even wider – and it’s being fuelled by the use of tax havens. Today, 8 individuals have the same wealth as the poorest half the people on our planet. It is time to bring an end to inequality. It is time to Even it up!
For 40 years, the Quechua communities in Peru have lived with contaminated rivers, and poor health as a result of oil drilling. Teddy Guerra is leading the effort to obtain integral land rights for his community before any more concessions are given to oil companies. Read his story and sign the petition.
Millions of people are being forced to flee their homes, risking everything to escape conflict, disaster, poverty or hunger. We are working in nine of the ten top refugee source countries as well as in refugee host countries. We urgently need your help to reach people in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and in Europe.
With no end in sight to the conflict in Syria, hundreds of thousands of people are living in desperate conditions and exposed to continuing violence. Today, half the pre-conflict population of 22 million Syrians have fled their homes and more than 13.5 million people urgently need your help.
Even though it has a population of only 3 million and despite having important natural resources (oil, iron ore, fish) at its disposal, Mauritania is still one of the poorest countries in the world on the Human Development Index, according to the United Nations classification system. Around 42% of the population lives on the brink of poverty.
The lack of commitment from the State, the worsening of conditions and factors of production, recurring climate impacts, inconsistent policies and bad governance are some of the factors which are retarding development and thereby contributing to an increase in poverty.
This contradiction between the significant availability of natural resources and the persistence of high levels of poverty, especially in rural areas (where 50% of the population lives), is why civil society in Mauritania is pushing for political, economic and social reforms, in order to reinforce democracy and good governance, assist in the fight against poverty and promote solidarity among its citizens.
Oxfam has been working with civil society in Mauritania since 1983 on the following programmes:
Good Economic Governance: we are supporting the structural development and training of civil society organisations so that they can act as real agents of change in the areas of politics, practice, ideas and beliefs. We are contributing to the definition of an economic model based on a sustainable and fair management of national resources and which generates added value in both rural production methods and the extractive industries.
Good Political Governance: We are working with civil society organisations to reduce inequality and to promote the rights of vulnerable groups.
Livelihood: we are working with poor and vulnerable groups, contributing to the development of farming, animal husbandry and fishing to increase their potential, reinforce economic alternatives and reduce poverty.
Humanitarian Action: we are working to reduce the vulnerability of groups affected by climate impact. Given the chronic and recurrent character of these crises, our emergency responses include long-term development projects and build prevention capacity and resilience within the most vulnerable groups.
We are working in the following areas: Wilaya du Gorgol, Brakna, Trarza, Inchiri, Tiris Zemmour, Nouadhubou y Nouakchott.
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