In response to yesterday’s mid-year budget update, Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Lyn Morgain said:
“Oxfam welcomes the Government’s commitments to enhance its partnership with ASEAN and invest in additional infrastructure for the Pacific.
“However, the Government has failed to take the opportunity to increase or extend the temporary and targeted aid measures in response to the COVID19 pandemic that were announced in the 2020-21 Budget, including the $304 million Pacific Response Package (which expires in mid-2022) and the $523 million Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative (which expires in mid-2023).
“The future of these important measures is now up-in-the-air amid an ever-evolving health crisis with dire consequences for people in our region, despite united calls from international development agencies for greater support from wealthy countries.
“There was also no additional funding for global vaccine finance to help low-income countries implement a faster roll-out of vaccinations to protect their communities.
“Oxfam will be looking to the Budget in March for a response that matches the challenges being faced in our region.”
