The G8 leaders have not done enough to address the world poverty crisis, according to international charity Oxfam. Leaders from the most powerful countries in the world met in Japan but their conference did not do enough to satisfy the demands of the organisation. Jeremy Hobbs, Oxfam International Executive Director, cited climate change, food prices and poverty as some of the problems which needed to be tackled. According to the charity, the G8’s climate change policies leave the world with a 50 percent chance “of global meltdown” and did not do enough to help the hungry. He commented: “Rich country biofuels are a major cause of the global food crisis at this moment, yet the leaders barely mentioned them and blithely continue to burn food in their cars. It’s like discussing the Titanic but failing to talk about the iceberg.” In addition, no new promises regarding African aid or specific targets were made, Oxfam said.

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21 July 2008
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