Though they contribute least to it, poor people will be hit first and hardest by climate change.
Eight years of drought in the last decade, Harvests halved in 2006. Oxfam's emergency food programme stopped hunger becoming starvation. Oxfam works to prepare poor communities around the world, and campaign for action.

How you can help

Recipients of free food as part of our emergency assistance programme.

If you don't believe that climate change is real, just ask a farmer in the central highlands of Hazarajat, Afghanistan. Winter snows and spring rains are in steady decline. Eight years of drought in the last decade, Harvests halved in 2006.

Only an Oxfam emergency food programme stopped hunger becoming starvation.

Unlucky? Try unfair. Because rich countries produce most of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Yet, it's the poorest countries that will be hit hardest. More frequent and unpredictable droughts, floods, hunger and disease, this is the future for people living in poverty.

Unless we act now.

Oxfam already deals with the results of climate change. We work to prepare poor communities around the world, and campaign for action, too.

Oxfam recognises the threat that climate change poses as well as the inequitable burden that poor communities and countries are already bearing. In response, Oxfam is actively developing its analysis and understanding to support changes in three areas:

1. Relief: Consistent with its humanitarian mandate, Oxfam needs to ensure that increasing numbers of people living in poverty who are harmed by climate-related disasters have equitable and efficient access to relief; given the ethical dimensions of global climate change, the justification for such relief includes issues of justice as well as standard humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, and impartiality.

2. Preparedness and adaptation: Many poor communities need support both to protect their lives and livelihoods from climate-related shocks and stresses, and to pro-actively adapt their livelihood strategies to the changing environmental conditions global warming brings. This requires additional funding through national and international frameworks as well as changes in the ways funds are used to ensure that poor people get the resources they're entitled to and have a say in how they're used.

3. Mitigation: Consistent with Oxfam's Approach, which includes tackling root causes of poverty, we support calls for strong political action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to prevent dangerous climate change. Oxfam also is committed to monitoring and reducing emissions associated with its own operations, including energy use and air travel.