Dear Friend –

Oxfam supporters like you know that when a crisis like the coronavirus hits, we're all impacted, but that the poorest and most marginalized communities around the world suffer the worst effects.

And yet...this crisis can also bring out the best in each of us and all of us together, doing what we can for those who need us most.

If you have found yourself doing okay through all this – and I sincerely hope you are – I hope you can pitch in with an emergency donation today for those who need us most. >>

I want to give you a sense of the scale of the efforts we're undertaking right now. Oxfam works in more than 90 countries, including the United States. The truth is, COVID-19 is likely to affect our work in every single one.

Here are where things stand in just a few of them. We'll continue to update you on our projects in the weeks and months to come.

The Global Humanitarian Response

In Yemen, the past five years of conflict have left the country's health system in ruins. Vital resources like clean water, safe shelter, and proper nutrition are unavailable for many. With only half the country's health centers functioning, we're training volunteers on public health promotion and supporting health facilities with hygiene care materials. We're also leading advocacy efforts to push the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to pause a planned suspension of aid to northern Yemen as this deadly virus looms there.

As Syrians enter the tenth year since the conflict began, they are now facing the grim reality of COVID-19. In response, Oxfam is accelerating delivery of hygiene materials like soap and undertaking public health promotion programs with the help of community volunteers and social media.

In Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan Oxfam has already started hygiene and hand-washing awareness for 2,000 children and aims to reach 78,000 people with water, hygiene, and sanitation resources. We've been using social media and WhatsApp to spread public health messages. We've also been using social media to communicate with people in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

In the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh and internal displaced camps in Myanmar, Oxfam and partners have already incorporated COVID-19 prevention into our existing work, with further training for staff and volunteers, soap distributions, and community engagement on COVID-19 prevention planned.

In Burkina Faso, where 780,000 people have been forced from their homes, Oxfam is ensuring that both host communities and displaced people have access to safe, clean water.

In the Gaza Strip, Oxfam is aiming to support 4,000 people with preparedness and essential services to quarantine centers. An outbreak in Gaza would have tremendous consequences as the health system was collapsing even prior to COVID-19 and more than half of the population are living under the poverty line.

In Pakistan we have installed water tanks at a center where people are being quarantined, so they have a water supply.

In China, we have been working with local partners in Gansu, Guizhou, and Yunnan Provinces to provide relief to those at the greatest risk of catching the coronavirus in poor communities, by distributing protective supplies like masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and more – as well as food to help vulnerable groups deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

In Italy, we are aiming to provide funding for protective equipment for health workers like gloves, ventilation machines for Italian hospitals, and support for Italian teachers to work online.

I want you to know, this work simply isn't possible without the help of supporters like you. You can make a difference in every one of these places. Please make an emergency contribution today >> >>

In the United States

Here in the US, the lack of paid sick leave and health care are revealing the stark reality of how ill-equipped we are to cope. Simple steps that many of us take for granted during a crisis – stocking up on groceries, avoiding public transportation, staying home when sick – are impossible for millions here.

We are paying particular attention to the needs of undocumented workers and working women, especially those in care jobs, such as domestic workers, who may be excluded from federal labor protections and especially challenged to stay healthy.

Oxfam is now supporting folks in the places we know best, and in the most distressed parts of the country.

In New Orleans, we're helping partners distribute gift cards to families to help them get through the crisis. We're donating laptops to students who don't have adequate access to technology, and collecting and disseminating accurate health information to communities.

In North Carolina, we're distributing cash assistance to workers who have been laid off, as well as disseminating health and safety information, conducting a needs assessment among members, and pressuring companies that are still operational to promote safe workplace practices and provide adequate support for workers.

It's clear we need a massive federal effort to prevent people from falling into homelessness, bankruptcy, and hunger – so we're doing all we can to demand that federal and state legislators urgently provide for paid sick leave, free COVID-19 testing, food assistance for low-income families and children, and large-scale economic support to protect the livelihoods of those most vulnerable to economic disruption.

As we continue to scale up our response to this crisis, we'll be regularly sending you information about where we're working and the many ways you can help save lives. No one individual, community, or country can deal with this crisis alone.

Please, donate today. Anything you can afford right now will make a difference. Funds go directly to Oxfam's efforts to support communities around the world responding to COVID-19 >>

Thank you, for being here to help – even as many of us must respond to the effects of COVID-19 on our communities and on our own lives. We are only as protected from COVID-19 as the least protected person is. Your health is my health, and vice versa.

This is truly a moment where we need to look beyond ourselves, mobilize beyond our borders, and work collectively with shared humanity.

Sincerely,

Abby Maxman
President
Oxfam America