MELBOURNE, 7 Jan. --MediaNet International-AsiaNet/InfoQuest
International agency Oxfam today urged the people of the world to hold
their leaders accountable for the Tsunami Summit promises of nearly $4 billion
in aid as well as action on debt relief to assist those countries devastated by
the Tsunami.
“Global leaders have rightly come to the table in Jakarta pledging substantial long-term aid. The real test will be to ensure that these promises are kept when the media spotlight turns away from the Tsunami disaster” said Oxfam
Policy Director James Ensor, currently in Jakarta for the Emergency Summit.
“Ordinary people around the world have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to assist the Tsunami survivors. They have every right to be outraged if their Government’s promises made today in Jakarta do not materialise” said Ensor.
“Money pledged must be new money, not diverted from existing development
programs or humanitarian crises such as in Sudan”
Oxfam is calling for world leaders to fulfil Kofi Annan’s immediate demand for $1 billion in cash to fund emergency relief over the next six months and welcomes confirmation of the leadership role of the United Nations in
coordinating aid and reconstruction.
Oxfam supports some world leaders’ rhetoric for a debt moratorium for Tsunami affected countries which collectively owe the rich world in excess of $300
billion. “It would be immoral for rich countries to continue to reap billions
of dollars in debt payments from these already poor countries now suffering
such devastation” said Ensor.
Talk of debt moratoriums is not enough — we need action. Other countries must now follow the lead of Canada in implementing a debt moratorium at next week’s meeting of the Paris Club of creditor countries. A taskforce involving the
World Bank and Asian Development Bank must also be established to develop a
plan to substantially reduce the debts of the worst affected countries.
“World leaders now have an obligation to tackle world poverty and reduce
people’s vulnerability to future disasters during the remainder of 2005. This
unprecedented disaster has thrown millions of already poor people across Asia
into even deeper poverty. Meanwhile, unnecessary suffering and death continues
around the world from the Congo to Sudan and elsewhere. This disaster increases
the imperative for rich nations to commit to ending poverty by doubling their
aid, cancelling the debts of the world’s poorest countries and making trade
fair for the developing world” said Ensor.
Oxfam will redouble its efforts to achieve these outcomes in 2005. The G8 leaders summit in Scotland in July, the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals summit in September and the World Trade Organisation Ministerial meeting
in Hong Kong in December are three critical events where world leaders can
begin to make poverty history.
Spokespeople:
Jakarta, Indonesia:
To arrange an interview with James Ensor contact Carly Hammond on
+61 (0) 409 181 454 or +61 (0) 408 556 494
Great Britain:
Amy Barry: +44 (0) 1865312498 or +44 (0) 798 0664397
SOURCE: Oxfam Community Aid Abroad
--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--