Oxfam considered ‘scaling down’ its emergency relief work to become a climate ‘influencer’ over governments, it was claimed today.
The global disaster agency reportedly drew up plans to step back from its fieldwork and focus entirely on ‘influencing’ on issues including the climate crisis, gender and inequality.
The proposals, put forward by chief executive of Oxfam International Amitabh Behar, are said to have been circulated among senior leadership last year.
But they were strongly opposed by Oxfam GB, which raised concerns over whether the charity’s transformation would comply with UK law.
A manager located in Oxford is reported to have said the move would fundamentally change the charity’s purpose, and pointed out under British legislation such organisations are not permitted to have a political agenda.
Oxfam GB is the biggest provider of the confederation’s £340 million annual funding.
The Daily Mail understands the draft plan was in its initial stages and was ‘overwhelmingly’ overruled in favour of continuing with Oxfam’s existing missions.
References to ‘influencing’ were said to be primarily in relation to the charity’s role in shaping global legislation.
The global disaster agency drew up plans to step back from its fieldwork and focus entirely on ‘influencing’ on issues including the climate crisis, gender and inequality (Pictured: An Oxfam camp in Haiti)
Oxfam GB former chief executive Dr Halima Begum is making a claim against the charity for constructive dismissal
Documents seen by The Times laid out plans for change entitled ‘lead with influencing’, and stated: ‘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 added that Oxfam was at a ‘pivotal juncture’ and must ‘reimagine its role – and not as a dominant actor, but as an enabler of change’.
It acknowledged that if implemented, the move would ultimately receive backlash from donors, who would be concerned about ‘brand dilution’ and a decline in ‘public trust and loyalty’ which would severely impact fundraising efforts.
The plan was discussed at a meeting of Oxfam’s leadership in Istanbul late last year and ultimately rejected in favour of continuing with the charity’s ‘triple mandate’ of emergency response, long-term relief and tackling inequality.
Some staff had been furious at the proposals, 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 proposals are the latest in a series of troubles facing the organisation, including an ongoing legal battle with former chief executive of Oxfam GB Dr Halima Begum.
Dr Begum was forced out of her post in December after complaints to the board about her behaviour. Accusations of bullying were described as ‘absurd’ by her allies.
‘The Oxfam board are entirely unfit to govern what should be a national treasure,’ Dr Begum declared in a claim lodged at Reading employment tribunal for constructive dismissal.
The charity was also embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal after Dr Begum revealed that a volunteer was under investigation for allegedly raping a seven-year-old in Myanmar in 2024.
This followed a scandal in Haiti which saw 2010 earthquake victims on the Caribbean island sexually exploited by Oxfam aid workers, a matter which emerged in 2018.
It is also facing questions about how donations are spent and allegations of fraud at its head office in Nairobi.
An Oxfam spokesperson said: ‘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. 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.
‘This means responding to emergencies, supporting communities towards sustainable development and working to address the root causes of poverty and injustice so that fewer people face inequality in the future. We believe these three areas work together to create lasting change.
‘Across the confederation, Oxfam worked in 79 countries last year, including working in partnership with local organisations across all three areas of our triple mandate.’
