The recent attacks on United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon highlight once again how their presence is no guarantee of security. Marc Cohen and Elise Nalbandian explore UN peacekeeping failures in DRC, Rwanda, Darfur and Haiti – and one notable success in Timor Leste.
When conflict destroys services, who fills the gaps in care? We need to make sure it’s not always women
In Gaza and Lebanon, thousands of women are now first responders when it to comes to feeding, caring and comforting, all while dealing with their own trauma from deaths, injury, starvation and displacement. Yet too often the way humanitarian agencies operate actually adds to their workload, says Hadeel Rizq-Qazzaz.
Vetoing humanity: How a few powerful nations hijacked global peace
Marc J. Cohen, Amy Croome and Elise Nalbandian introduce a new Oxfam report that sets out how the veto power of a few countries at the UN Security Council has been catastrophic for humanity. Ahead of next week’s landmark Summit of the Future, they demand four changes to reform a UN system that is simply no longer up to the challenge of maintaining international peace and security.
‘I would expect more trust’: five things holding back LGBTQIA+ led organisations in the Ukraine response
LGBTQIA+ organisations responding to the crisis in Ukraine need better support from international donors, including more flexible funding and support to boost the visibility of the LGBTQIA+ community. Charlotte Greener shares insights from conversations with two LGBTQIA+ groups working in Ukraine and neighbouring Poland.
Why Oxfam is involved in a court case on UK arms sales to Israel
Oxfam has applied to formally intervene in a court case brought against the UK government over arms sales to Israel. Richard Stanforth explains why…
How much does it cost to stop a cycle of violence in South Sudan? It’s less than you might think…
What’s the biggest barrier to community-led peacebuilding in South Sudan? Often, it’s simply that volunteer peacebuilders can’t get the transport they need to reach the warring parties. In a blog for the International Day for Living Together in Peace, Sylvia Brown explains how an investment of just $28,000 can calm an inter-community conflict – and protect lives and livelihoods.
The unfolding water catastrophe in Gaza
The current crisis comes on top of a long-standing struggle for water in Gaza – and demonstrates again how access to clean water is often one of the first casualties of conflict. Bushra Khalidi and Awssan Kamal set out six ways the destruction and obstruction of water supplies is having devastating short- and long-term impacts on civilians.
Revisiting Yemen in the midst of conflict
The people of Yemen are experiencing one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises. The conflict between a Saudi-led coalition of Gulf countries and the Government of Yemen against the Ansar-Allah movement (also known as the Houthis), escalated in March 2015. Two years on, Jonathon Puddifoot reflects on a recent visit to the country he knows so well. Its 30 years …