Why COVID-19 exposes and exploits extreme global inequalities, Oxfam Ireland

By Jim Clarken, Chief Executive of Oxfam Ireland

While the richest in countries across the globe have access to healthcare and cash to get by, most of humanity faces the COVID-19 crisis with neither. Pre-COVID-19, one in two people struggled daily to survive, and Oxfam’s recent research shows that the economic fallout from the pandemic could push half a billion more people into poverty – setting the fight against poverty back by up to 30 years in some parts of the world. Not only will this make it more difficult to rebuild post-virus, it will also greatly reduce poorer countries’ ability to respond to climate change.

As a movement that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice in more than 90 countries, Oxfam is doing its part to tackle the virus. Our work on the frontlines of crises, on public health and tackling diseases like Ebola gives us insight on how to avert catastrophe. Sometimes the technology needed is as simple as operational taps to provide clean, safe water, soap to prevent spread, or a messaging alert system to ensure accurate and timely information reaches people.

#COVID19 highlights how the unfair burden left to women in the best of times, grows only heavier in times of crisis. Women at the frontlines – in hospitals, care homes, supermarkets & living rooms are some of the most vulnerable to the impact of this virushttps://t.co/PpWqlER09F pic.twitter.com/tcpFFuG4FP

— Oxfam Ireland (@OxfamIreland) April 30, 2020

With our local partners and our expertise in water, sanitation and public health promotion, we are mobilising worldwide – from refugee camps in Bangladesh and Yemen to the most vulnerable communities in Italy and Gaza – to deliver clean water, soap, protective equipment and public health information – all vital tools to prevent and slow the spread of this virus.

We are also working to meet acute needs, prevent people going hungry, counter increasing gender-based violence as well as getting cash to the hands of people most in need. It is our priority to support the most vulnerable – particularly women and girls, the elderly, people living with disabilities and children.

Spotlight

Extreme Weather Events: Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar prepare for monsoons amid COVID-19 pandemic

“Living here in the camps, everything gives us diseases. The camp infects everyone with diseases, and I have no money to see a doctor. We must sit and bear it and suffer without any medication. We have no means to go see the doctor even when we are sick.”

~ Rohingya woman, 28 years old

Rohingya people fled horrific violence in Myanmar in 2017 to the safety of Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh – now home to sprawling refugee camps where one million Rohingya refugees live.

The impending monsoon season could devastate these camps, and now, COVID-19 could devastate the community living within them.

Oxfam sees first-hand the extremely limited access to health care and other essential services people have, as well as the underlying health challenges they face, from chronic malnutrition to cramped living conditions in inadequate shelters. All of these factors could significantly worsen if there is a COVID-19 outbreak. In the camps, basic preventative measures, such as social distancing and self-isolation, remain impossible – with ten or more family members often living in a single shelter that measures about nine by five foot.

Another concern that could significantly worsen the spread of the COVID-19 virus is the shutdown of internet services. Unlike most places in 2020, where we can check our mobile phones for immediate information about the virus, how to prevent it and what to do if you feel ill, Rohingya refugees have experienced the shutdown of internet services on both sides of the border.

Oxfam has urgently scaled up its humanitarian efforts in the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, not only because of COVID-19, but also the impending monsoon season which will bring with it further threats and challenges for the communities living there. We are providing vital aid, including clean water and latrines and are also working to improve camp infrastructure by installing flood-proof wells, better toilets and improved roads as well as having contingency plans in place to restore water supplies and distribute essential aid if needed once the monsoons strike.

The threat of COVID-19 is putting the human rights crisis faced by Rohingya people into sharper focus. It starkly shows how equal rights are central to ensuring each human life is valued and protected, whether it’s amid a pandemic or not.

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Refugee Camps: As Covid-19 continues its relentless spread, refugees at Za’atari mobilise to ensure accurate information is disseminated throughout the camp

“Some people thought flies could carry and transmit Covid-19 or that garlic, herbs and licorice-root tea could cure you of it… Others asked whether it was just the elderly who were at risk. There were so many rumours circulating a few weeks ago that it was hard to tell what was true and what wasn’t,” explains Aysha, a Syrian refugee at Za’atari Refugee Camp in Jordan.

Aysha is one of hundreds of paid volunteers who are part of Oxfam’s cash for work programme designed to give people work opportunities, training, and a source of income. As one of 18 community engagement workers trained to mobilise, engage and raise awareness throughout the Za’atari community, her job is more important than ever.

The programme recognises and builds on existing skill-sets in a number of different areas that range from environmental caretakers and cleaners, community outreach workers, recycling workers and technical engineers. It was set up to fill a long-standing gap that made it difficult for refugees in the country – especially women – to access permits to work outside the camps.

“We’ve created a number of different chat groups on various platforms to spread awareness on the virus,” Aysha says.

“We stop rumours in their tracks, answer questions, listen to concerns and steer people in the right direction about everything from hand washing and hygiene to physical distancing. We also make sure that people only share material from reliable and valid sources.”

Over 400 volunteers are part of a sophisticated messaging network that’s estimated to reach tens of thousands of refugees every day, cascading key updates, fielding questions and methodically tracking information that helps inform outreach material.

Aysha describes the challenges of adjusting to these unprecedented times: “I lost my husband to the war. I’m the one that takes care of the kids, our home and the one that works. The most important thing to me is my kid’s education. So, I’m doing my best”, she says.

“My work means everything to me, it’s not just a livelihood opportunity or just a job, it has given me a sense of purpose, ownership and agency. It’s so gratifying to be able to help raise awareness and connect with the community in these times of need.”

Conflict: Trapped by the blockade, the people of Gaza cannot escape COVID-19

“People in confinement around the world are experiencing what it means to be Palestinian, to live under lockdown and movement restriction. There is a lot of empathy and we can only hope some good will come out of this once the storm has passed.” ~ Mohammed Ammar, Oxfam’s Saving Lives Programme Manager in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel

Pandemic or no pandemic, Gaza is already experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis. A 13-year-long blockade has devastated the economy, caused widespread destruction and left most people largely cut off from the outside world.

With more than 5,000 people per square kilometre, the besieged enclave is one of the most densely populated places on the planet. Residents have nowhere to go and no means of avoiding transmission. Poor water infrastructure also means that proper hand washing is often impossible.

In an area where one in eight people relies on life-saving aid, the virus would do untold damage to two million vulnerable people. Gaza is also dependent on Israel for critical medical cases, but the threat of COVID-19 has created a level of collaboration between Palestinians and Israelis that has rarely, if ever, been seen before.

“We are bracing ourselves for the worst. Hospitals and clinics face incredible challenges such as electricity, water, and equipment shortages due to very fragile conditions. There is an inadequate amount of Intensive Care Unit beds and ventilators for the population of two million in Gaza. More funds are urgently needed to respond to the worst-case scenario of a major outbreak that would bring Gaza’s health system to its knees.” ~ Mohammed Ammar, Oxfam’s Saving Lives Programme Manager in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel

As well as the health system implications, COVID-19 could further destroy the economy of Gaza, which already has an unemployment rate of 47 per cent. Small shops have shut their doors due to the crisis and business-owners have no income to pay their staff or provide for their own families. With movement restricted even more to prevent a further spread of the virus in Gaza, many families are already finding themselves unable to put food on the table.

With the support of Irish Aid, Oxfam Ireland mobilised to urgently respond to the threat of Covid-19 in Gaza. Oxfam are providing protection equipment for healthcare workers, beds for patients in quarantine centres, soap and other essential hygiene products. We are also providing hygiene kits to vulnerable families through our partner organisations. Our water engineers are ensuring public water taps used by the most vulnerable families can be used safely. With no other source of clean water, these families are most at risk of catching the virus.

Workers rights: How Dhaka’s Garment Workers are some of the hardest hit

“Brands and buyers are getting richer while we live in a cycle of poverty and our lives are stagnant. I hope things get better in the future” ~ Labonie Akter lives in a Dhaka slum with her sister. Her husband is a rickshaw puller and lives in their original village with her son. Her son was four when she left and he is now 10.

83 per cent of Bangladesh’s total exports are ready-made garments, accounting for five per cent of the global garment trade – and with an available, young, and cheap workforce Bangladesh is an attractive and competitive option for large western fashion brands.

There is an estimated four million garment workers in Bangladesh – 80% of whom are women. Nine in 10 people working in this industry live in poverty earning an average salary of €24 a week or €4 a day, with some earning as little as €3 a day.

Much like other capital cities across the world, rents are high. Workers tend to share their living space – often a single room – with up to five other people. As COVID-19 infiltrates our towns and cities, this type of cohabitation now poses new challenges in containing spread and maintaining physical distance.

The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated the global garment supply chains, resulting in over one million garment workers being fired or furloughed in Bangladesh. All parties are feeling the impact of Covid-19, however not all parties are equal. Factories operate on paper-thin margins and have far less access to capital than their customers, and workers very rarely earn enough to accumulate any savings. Due to order cancellation or postponement by big brands, workers have been told to return home with no money.

It is worth noting that three of the richest men in the fashion industry are worth over 100 billion dollars while the women at the bottom of the supply chain are paid a pittance.

“Death from Coronavirus is a maybe, but death from not earning is certain”.

Oxfam have a Living Wage campaign for women’s economic empowerment. Working with partners, including the Bangladesh Centre for Workers Solidarity and the Bangladesh Institute for Labour Studies, they work for decent employment, safe workplaces, a living wage and social protection. Most workers earn 8,300 Taka (€90) per year, but need 16,000 Taka for a living wage – which would cover basic needs such as food, health care, education, clothing and transport.

International pressure is helping and the government set up a special task force on wages. However, big brands should use their influence to ensure collective bargaining is respected and should invest a portion of their profits in improving the industry.

Currently, two per cent of the retail price of a typical garment goes to the women who make them – less than one per cent of the production cost would do the right thing if brands absorbed it. We want brands to commit to a living wage and publish a timetable for a transparent supply chain.

Big brands have a responsibility for ensuring workers rights.

With each day, more of us are being personally affected by COVID-19. In every family, community and country, wherever we may be, we know we must take care of each other.

There is opportunity in crisis – the old, unequal way has been exposed. The foundations for our economies and our societies are now being restructured in response to COVID-19 – when we overcome the pandemic we need to rebuild differently.

We have an opportunity to shift irreversibly towards a sustainable, more equal and human economy in which governments work for all of us – not only the fortunate few – and rise to confront global challenges like our climate emergency and gender inequality.

Oxfam is calling for a Global Public Health Plan and Emergency Response to save lives. We now need to deliver free testing and treatment to all, and to invest in public health systems and workers so we can to tackle this virus globally. We need an agreement to ensure vaccines will be rapidly available, for free, to all. And, we must urgently get support to local humanitarian responders tackling this crisis, most of whom are women.

Many governments are acting quickly, but within their borders. We know that only ambitious political action by governments – acting together – can overcome this crisis. We need them to scale up their response to levels never seen in our lifetimes by unleashing the largest ever-economic stimulus for people to help their families and small businesses through this crisis. Emergency solidarity taxes on big businesses and wealthy individuals could help pay for this.

Every government, institution and person must play its part and those with the broadest shoulders should bear most of the cost – we need suspension and cancellation of poorer nations’ debt payments.

We’re indebted to all frontline workers – health workers and humanitarians, carers, supermarket workers and neighbours – and all those who we now rely upon to hold up our world. We’re in this together – to stop a catastrophe and to shift irreversibly towards a sustainable, more equal and kinder world.

Most importantly, when we overcome the threat of COVID-19, we need to mobilise the same level of political and public will and compassion to begin the process of rectifying the harm we have caused our planet and environment and kick start a future that offers hope for everyone.

Let’s hope that this pandemic marks a turning point and we move forward together to beat poverty and inequality, and for a sustainable and fair world for everyone woman, man and child.

What can I do to help?

You can donate to Oxfam’s global humanitarian responses in places like Bangladesh, Syria, Yemen, Gaza and beyond.

You can save unwanted items to donate to their network of shops once they re-open – your pre-loved clothes, books, furniture and bric-a-brac help raise vital funds that are a lifeline to some of the most vulnerable communities across the world, and also, by donating you save itemstrello from landfill, prolong their life and help both planet and people!

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