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WORLD NEWS Friday 22 May 2020
Shock and sadness as Oxfam plans exit from 18 countries

By PAN PYLAS ed a 10-year strategic re-
Associated Press view in late 2018, which co-
LONDON (AP) — The deci- incided with the fallout of a
sion by Oxfam International sex-abuse scandal in Haiti
to close operations in 18 in the wake of the earth-
countries in response to quake in 2010 that had
the devastating financial devastated the country.
impact of the coronavirus The scandal caused a
pandemic was met with global outcry and prompt-
shock and sadness Thurs- ed many donors to with-
day across developing draw their support, par-
countries where the aid or- ticularly in the U.K., where
ganization has often been Oxfam started operations
helping the needy for de- back in 1942. Haiti, where
cades. its brand has been seriously
Oxfam, which currently op- diminished, is another one
erates in 66 countries and of the countries that Oxfam
whose global work is co- is leaving.
ordinated via 20 affiliate Oxfam had steadied the
offices around the world, ship after the fallout of the
said in a statement late Haiti revelations and its
Wednesday that it has had revenues in 2018-19 held
to accelerate and deepen In this Sunday, March 21 2009 file photo, Sudanese refugees gather behind the Oxfam logo at the steady at around 1 billion
changes that it was mulling site of the looted compound of the expelled British aid group, Oxfam at Al Salam refugee camp, euros ($1.1 billion).
as a result of the pandemic. outside the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan. However, the pandemic
"We've been planning this Associated Press has caused much of Ox-
for some time but we are fam's income stream to dry
now accelerating key de- example, Oxfam has been he said. "So it must be at our development efforts," up, and the worry must be
cisions in light of the effects present since 1995 and has the center of our response. he said. "Any partner we that other aid organizations
of the global pandemic," been helping local part- To see one of our partners lose which is involved in our are seeing similarly acute
said Oxfam International's ners to increase access to closing down their opera- development plans, espe- pressures on their finances.
interim executive director essential services like safe tions when we need them cially in the current global Many of Oxfam's charity
Chema Vera. drinking water and sanita- most is truly devastating." pandemic is something of shops have been shuttered
The most notable changes tion facilities. And in nearby, Sierra Le- significance to the govern- during the lockdown re-
involve its exit from coun- Bobby Whitfield, Chairman one, the country's minis- ment." strictions imposed around
tries around the world. and CEO of Liberia's Na- ter of development and Oxfam insisted that the the world and its key fund-
Among those it is planning tional Water Sanitation and economic planning, Dr. changes will be phased raising events, such as the
to leave are Afghanistan, Hygiene Commission, said Francis Kaikai, said it was and that its departure does Glastonbury Festival in
Cuba, Egypt, Rwanda and in a statement, that Ox- "unfortunate" that Oxfam, not necessarily mean the southwest England in June,
Sri Lanka. It said 1,450 out of fam's decision to leave the which has been working in end of its involvement in have been cancelled.
nearly 5,000 program staff country must have been the country since 1998, has those countries. It said it will However, institutional fund-
could lose their jobs and "tough" but that it had had to leave though he continue to advise local raising from the likes of na-
that there will be an im- come as a "shock." had yet to receive formal aid agencies and could tional governments and
pact on 700 out of its nearly "Water, sanitation and hy- notification. launch fund-raising events international organiza-
1,900 partner organisations. giene are at the heart of "We will feel it because where and when needed. tions such as the European
In Liberia, in West Africa, for this fight against COVID-19," they had their own niche in The organization had start- Union, has held steady. q

AstraZeneca secures orders for virus vaccine under testing

By DANICA KIRKA and distribution. "We will do "to ensure the delivery of
Associated Press everything in our power to a globally accessible vac-
LONDON (AP) — Drug mak- make this vaccine quickly cine.'' The company also
er AstraZeneca said Thurs- and widely available," So- finalized its licence agree-
day it had secured its first riot said. Pharmaceutical ment with Oxford Univer-
agreements for 400 million companies including also sity for the vaccine, now
doses of a COVID-19 vac- Moderna and Sanofi are known as AZD1222.
cine it is testing, bolstered racing to develop and pro- The vaccine was devel-
by an investment from the duce a vaccine against oped by Oxford University's
U.S. vaccine agency. the new coronavirus as ex- Jenner Institute, working
The Anglo-Swedish compa- perts say it will be crucial to with the Oxford Vaccine
ny reported it had received allowing countries to ease Group.
more than $1 billion from their lockdowns and restric- Testing of the experimental
the U.S. Biomedical Ad- tions on public life. COVID-19 vaccine began
vanced Research and De- In a statement as markets in healthy volunteers in Brit-
velopment Authority for the In this Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 file photo, a view of the AstraZeneca opened, AstraZeneca said ain in April with over 1,000
development, production logo, on a building, in South San Francisco, Calif. it has now secured manu- people aged 18 to 55.
and delivery of the vac- Associated Press facturing capacity for 1 Data from the trial is ex-
cine, starting this fall. AstraZeneca Chief Execu- and is in discussions with billion doses and aims to pected soon and if results
The investment will acceler- tive Pascal Soriot said. It the Serum Institute of India secure further agreements are positive, further trials
ate the development and had already joined forces and other potential part- to expand capacity fur- will take place in other
production of the vaccine, with the British government ners to increase production ther over the next months countries..q