President Trump has announced that he will seek to withhold funding to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Holding back funding from the WHO damages hopes for the international cooperation and solidarity that is critical to save lives in this crisis and restore the global economy. The WHO supports governments by providing essential resources, such as testing kits and training for health workers.

As Oxfam continues scaling up our response to the crisis in more than 50 countries around the world, we've seen firsthand that strong coordination and funding is vital to save lives. In some countries in crisis, the WHO is the primary group that can assess the needs and provide these supplies. Withholding funding to WHO will put countless lives at risk.

This global health crisis is hitting when the global aid community has already been overwhelmed, and we're all working together to save lives. Now is not the time to leave the most vulnerable behind. If you're looking for ways to help, please consider starting a monthly contribution. COVID-19 is likely to deeply affect the communities we serve all over the world; having the resources to respond means we can help more people in the weeks and months ahead.

If you're in a position to contribute, please – start a monthly donation today. Anything you can afford right now will make a difference. And right now, your gift will be maximized by a donor who is contributing an additional $100 for every new monthly donation.

None of us are safe unless all of us are safe – we must work together now, in our communities and across borders, with dignity and compassion. Take a moment to read below about our response efforts, and thank you for all that you do.

– Abby Maxman

Dear Friend –

As the coronavirus pandemic accelerates into the poorest countries, billions of people do not have access to clean water, and millions more do not have adequate healthcare and live in crowded slums or refugee camps where social isolation is impossible.

While our families and communities struggle to endure the impacts of COVID-19, there is still an opportunity to stop this virus from devastating the most vulnerable among us.

Oxfam already works in high-risk communities to promote accurate information about the disease, encourage handwashing, and provide hygiene items families need, such as soap and clean containers to store water. With limitations on travel, we're also taking steps to protect Oxfam's dedicated local staff and partners and the communities we serve so that we can continue the response as the pandemic progresses.

The question we keep hearing: What's the best way I can help in emergencies like this?

The truth is, the only way any emergency response is possible – in refugee camps, or anywhere Oxfam works – is with the support of monthly donors. Sustaining support allows us to rapidly mobilize and continue to help communities build their own disaster response capabilities.

Please: start a monthly donation today. You've been such an incredible part of our work – we're hoping that today, you'll take the next step. And when you start a monthly donation today, a generous donor will contribute an additional $100.

With the help of the Oxfam community, we're coordinating our response to COVID-19 with partner organizations, government ministries of health, and key UN agencies in more than 50 countries.

Thanks to our expertise in public health outbreaks, we're mobilizing worldwide – from refugee camps in Jordan and Bangladesh to the most vulnerable communities in Italy – to make sure people have safe, clean water and toilets, and ensuring communities affected have accurate information and advice.

We also understand that this is more than a public health crisis. For example, as families are forced to remain in their homes and support centers and networks are closed, we're concerned about increased risk of gender-based violence. We're taking action here, too: our partner in Jordan, the Jordanian Women's Union, is continuing to find ways to provide assistance to survivors of domestic violence, such as working to secure permits to allow social workers to visit shelters for survivors of domestic violence, despite a rigid lockdown that keeps people in their homes.

Monthly donors make this work possible. When a global emergency hits, it means we don't have to ask, "Can we afford to help?" Your monthly support allows us to commit in a big way – immediately – during the initial hours and days of a crisis. This is so important: the faster we can reach survivors, the more people we can help, and the more lives we can save.

You have the power to create change, each month. Your support can help people around the world stay safer and rebuild stronger from emergencies and disasters and get the tools they need to improve their lives – now and for generations to come – but please: start today. The need is dire.

Start a monthly donation today. Thanks to a generous donor, each new monthly donation ensures an additional $100 for families living in poverty.

On behalf of the Oxfam community, please know how deeply we appreciate your dedication to fighting poverty, hunger, and injustice with us. I hope you and your loved ones are able to stay healthy and safe in these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Abby Maxman
President
Oxfam America