Oxfam's Controversial Plan to Shift from Relief Work to Climate Influencing Revealed
Oxfam International, the global disaster agency, reportedly considered dramatically scaling down its emergency relief operations to transform into a climate and policy "influencer" targeting governments, according to claims made today. Internal proposals drawn up by Oxfam International's chief executive, Amitabh Behar, suggested stepping back from frontline fieldwork to concentrate entirely on advocacy and campaigning on issues such as the climate crisis, gender inequality, and social injustice.
Internal Opposition and Legal Concerns
The plans, circulated among senior leadership last year, faced strong resistance from Oxfam GB, the confederation's largest funding provider contributing £340 million annually. A manager based in Oxford raised significant concerns, arguing that such a shift would fundamentally alter the charity's core purpose. Under British legislation, charitable organisations are not permitted to pursue overt political agendas, and Oxfam GB questioned whether the proposed transformation would comply with UK law.
Documents obtained by The Times outlined the strategy under the title "lead with influencing," stating clearly: "Advocacy and campaigning will increase. Service delivery programmes and humanitarian delivery will be scaled down. All activities will be through the lens of influencing." The plan described Oxfam as being at a "pivotal juncture" where it needed to "reimagine its role - and not as a dominant actor, but as an enabler of change."
Backlash and Rejection
The proposals acknowledged that implementing such changes would likely provoke backlash from donors, who might worry about "brand dilution" and a decline in "public trust and loyalty," severely impacting fundraising efforts. Staff members expressed fury at the suggestions, with one telling The Times: "If the UK public think for one second that Oxfam is turning its back on the humanitarian role it's upheld for over 80 years to become just another lobbying shop, they'll abandon the charity. We'll never come back from such a betrayal. The plan would destroy Oxfam."
The Daily Mail understands that the draft plan was in its early stages and was "overwhelmingly" overruled. At a leadership meeting in Istanbul late last year, the proposals were ultimately rejected in favour of maintaining Oxfam's existing "triple mandate" of emergency response, long-term development programming, and influencing work. References to "influencing" were clarified as primarily relating to the charity's role in shaping global legislation rather than abandoning humanitarian efforts.
Ongoing Challenges for Oxfam
These revelations come amid a series of ongoing troubles for the organisation. Oxfam GB is currently engaged in a legal battle with its former chief executive, Dr Halima Begum, who is making a claim for constructive dismissal at the Reading employment tribunal. Dr Begum was forced out of her position in December following complaints about her behaviour, which allies described as "absurd" accusations of bullying. She declared: "The Oxfam board are entirely unfit to govern what should be a national treasure."
The charity also faces scrutiny over a sexual abuse scandal, with Dr Begum revealing that a volunteer was under investigation for allegedly raping a seven-year-old in Myanmar in 2024. This follows the 2018 Haiti scandal where earthquake victims were sexually exploited by Oxfam aid workers. Additionally, questions have been raised about how donations are spent and allegations of fraud at the charity's head office in Nairobi.
Oxfam's Response and Current Work
An Oxfam spokesperson emphasised the charity's ongoing humanitarian commitments: "Right now Oxfam is responding to emergencies around the world including the current war in the Middle East through our Middle East Appeal, floods in Mozambique and conflicts in South Sudan, Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Our core mission remains unchanged: to overcome poverty by fighting the injustices and inequalities that fuel it."
The spokesperson reaffirmed Oxfam's dedication to its triple mandate, stating: "Our humanitarian response remains central to this mission and to our work around the world. In 2024 and 2025 alone, Oxfam GB for example supported more than 8 million people through humanitarian programmes. Oxfam has reaffirmed its commitment to continue to deliver what we call the Triple Mandate: humanitarian response, long-term development programming, and influencing."
Across its global confederation, Oxfam worked in 79 countries last year, partnering with local organisations across all three areas of its mandate to create lasting change through emergency response, sustainable development, and addressing root causes of poverty.
