Efforts to forge a global ceasefire a "catastrophic failure", says Oxfam

13 Mai 2020

Nairobi, Kenya, May 13 (Infosplusgabon) - There has been a catastrophic failure by the international community to forge a global ceasefire in order for countries in conflict – and the world at large – to stop the coronavirus and save millions of lives, Oxfam warned on Tuesday.

In its new report, titled “Conflict in the time of Coronavirus”, Oxfam showed that acts of aggression and fighting by many parties across many conflict-torn countries continued unabated.

This is compounded by a diplomatic failure at the UN Security Council, years of weak investment into peace-building efforts, and arms continuing to flow into conflict zones.

“We expected leadership from the Council as well as many of those countries who say they support a ceasefire, but who nevertheless remain active participants in conflicts around the world, conducting military operations, selling arms and supporting third parties," said Oxfam Interim Executive Director, Jose Maria Vera.

On Friday 8 May, the US finally refused to vote on a UN resolution for a global ceasefire. Oxfam says that this was merely the latest of a litany of failures that are sustaining conflicts at a time when peace and international cooperation are needed.

Two billion people living in fragile and conflict-affected states are now at heightened risk from the coronavirus pandemic.

These conflicts are trapping millions of people in areas where health systems are crippled and hospitals bombed or are forcing them to flee into crowded camps where conditions are rife for the virus to spread.

In the last year alone, the international community topped US$1.9 trillion in military spending. This would have paid for the UN’s coronavirus appeal over 280 times.

“Arms exporting countries must stop fuelling conflict and instead make every effort to pressure warring parties to agree to a global ceasefire and invest in peace efforts that can bring a meaningful end to conflict,” a senior UN official said.

Fatimata Gansonré, whom Oxfam helps support in Kaya, Burkina Faso, said: “Since the onset of the COVID-19, everything has been blocked. We can no longer go out, we can no longer regroup, we have stopped our small activities. Life has become harder, I'm scared. There is a double fear, insecurity and the virus itself. Before COVID-19, we struggled to find something to eat, now it’s worse”.

“We expected leadership from the Council as well as many of those countries who say they support a ceasefire, but who nevertheless remain active participants in conflicts around the world, conducting military operations, selling arms and supporting third parties."

Some of the cases outlined in Oxfam’s report include: In the Central African Republic, armed groups have broken the ceasefire amid a surge of violence, in spite of the UN’s peace appeal, and 14 armed groups signing a peace agreement with the government in February 2019.

In Burkina Faso, on-going violence means that people are often unable to access essentials such as water, healthcare, and food.  Restrictions put in place to prevent the transmission of the virus has made it even more of a challenge.

In South Sudan, some peacebuilding funding has been paused by donors, who are prioritizing the coronavirus response above all else.

Oxfam is scaling up its programmes to help 14 million people in up to 50 countries across the globe to fight the virus.

Focusing on some of the hardest-hit conflict zones, including Yemen, DRC and Burkina Faso, Oxfam is providing hygiene and clean water, health awareness, support to hospitals as well as cash to families displaced by the conflict to buy food and basic necessities.

The current UN appeal to respond to the Coronavirus is US$6.7 billion according to the UN. Two billion people are living in conflict affected states according to UN Global Humanitarian Overview 2019.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/AZS/GABON2020

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