Press releases

Read Christian Aid's latest press releases.

Land grabs robbing the world's poor

4 June 2013: The modern day rush for land has resulted in the daylight robbery of the world’s poor, human rights activists warn. Their homes, jobs and livelihoods are taken from them - often violently and with the collusion of the military or paramilitary groups.

Land grabbing

Irish government called on to address specific human rights issues in Colombia

23 April 2013 - Christian Aid Ireland warns that despite some advances made by the current Colombian government, significant human rights concerns persist. They are calling on the Irish government to use their seat on the Human Rights Council to raise the issue of sexual violence and the protection of human rights defenders at a United Nations review in Geneva today of human rights in Colombia.

Irish Presidency urged to hold firm on Landmark EU banking rules

March 1 2013 - Agreement reached in Brussels this week to force banks to reveal more about their finances is a huge step towards getting companies to pay their taxes – although the new rules should be extended to other industries, according to Christian Aid.

Climate Bill a 'lame effort' says Christian Aid

February 26 2013 - Christian Aid today described the Heads of Bill for the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill as a ‘lame effort’, and accused the government of having fluffed their lines.

Christian Aid backs faith leaders’ call for action on global poverty

5 April 2013 - Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and religious leaders from across the G8 countries have called on Heads of Government to follow the UK in fulfilling existing commitments to spend 0.7% of national income on aid, in a letter to the Financial Times.

Leading Congolese and international NGOs welcome Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework but call for further action

February 24 2013 - A group of prominent Congolese and international NGOs today called on countries in the Great Lakes region, along with their international partners, to ensure that the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework Agreement signed in Addis Ababa is given the political backing necessary to bring an end to war in the eastern Congo.

Reforming Pakistani tax system vital – but aid increase to poor should not be at risk

4 April 2013 - MPs are right to say that the UK should strongly encourage Pakistan to raise its disastrously low rate of tax collection – but Christian Aid is concerned by the suggestion that any increase in UK aid be conditional on the country improving its tax system. Rather, UK aid should be used to help with such reform.

Christian Aid Week bites back at hunger

2 April 2013 - Christian Aid Week (12-18 May 2013 www.caweek.org), Britain’s longest running door-to-door fundraising week, will this year be urging the British public to ‘bite back at hunger’ and ask why, in a world where there is enough food for everyone, 1 in 8 people go to bed hungry every night?

Christian Aid Week

Syria's “double refugees” face overcrowding and hardship in Lebanon

2 April 2013 - DEC reaches needs of Palestinian refugees, who risk missing out on vital help. Palestinians who have fled the violence in Syria are facing overcrowding, poor shelter and hardship in Lebanon, aid agencies from the UK's Disasters Emergency Committee said today.

It’s time to make multinationals pay their fair share of tax, campaigners urge

27 March 2013 - The international system for taxing multinationals is broken and out of date, with many loopholes which allow unscrupulous companies to avoid paying their fair share - as the recent Google, Amazon and Starbucks scandals have shown. So say 58 campaigning organisations today, in a response to the OECD’s February report Addressing Base Erosion and Profit Shifting.

David Cameron urged to put tax at heart of new plan to tackle global poverty

25 March 2013 - David Cameron and other leaders working on a global anti-poverty plan should ensure it helps poor countries collect the tax billions they are owed, Christian Aid urges today, on the eve of new talks on the plan in Bali, Indonesia.

Budget: Historic achievement on aid but missed opportunity on tax dodging

20 March 2013 - Responding to the Chancellor’s Budget today, Christian Aid Director Loretta Minghella said: ‘Today, a 40 year-old promise to the world’s poorest was finally delivered. We congratulate the Government for ensuring that - even in challenging economic times – this country has done the right thing by the hundreds of millions of women and men around the world living in poverty.

DEC announces Syria Crisis Appeal

20 March 2013 - The Disasters Emergency Committee has today announced that it will launch an appeal tomorrow for people affected by the conflict in Syria. The announcement follows a dramatic deterioration in the humanitarian situation since the beginning of the year.

Syria Crisis Appeal

84-year-old twins set for 8000 foot sky dive to raise money for Christian Aid

March 7 2013 - A set of 84-year-old twins are teaming up for a charity skydive to raise money for Christian Aid. Pensioners Frank and Ralph Land will be jumping out of a plane at 8000 feet on April 1st - April Fool’s Day - to raise money for some of the world’s poorest people.

One in three are voting with their wallet following tax revelations

March 1 2013 - Millions of Britons are using consumer power to boycott companies seen to be avoiding their fair share of UK tax, new research reveals.

Leading Congolese and international NGOs welcome Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework but call for further action

Help combat tax avoidance across the world, Christian Aid urges UK Government

February 19 2013 - Commenting before the publication of the Public Accounts Committee’s new report on tax avoidance in the UK, Alex Prats, Christian Aid’s Principal Adviser on Economic Justice, said: ‘Tax avoidance is a major problem across the world and it’s especially devastating for developing countries, which lose billions every year as a result of tax avoidance by multinationals.

Christian Aid urges UK government to continue backing UN peace and security deal for DRC

February 18 2013 - Christian Aid is urging the UK Government to further support the signing and implementation of the United Nations recently proposed DRC and Great Lakes peace and security deal, which was inexplicably stalled at an African Union Summit meeting in Addis on January 28th.

New statement to the G8 from Christian Aid's economic policy advisor

February 16 2013 - Joseph Stead, Christian Aid senior economic policy adviser said today: ‘The G20 must address as an absolute priority the impact of tax dodging in the developing world'.

Christian Aid launches new 'Count Your Blessings' mobile app for Lent

February 11 2013 - With Lent beginning on Wednesday February 13, Christian Aid has launched a brand new mobile app to help people pause and think about their lives and those of others around the world.

Humanitarian groups: International community is 'failing the people of Syria'

January 29 2013 - On the eve of a key meeting of donor counties, a coalition of six international humanitarian agencies has warned that the UN’s record $1.5 billion Syria humanitarian appeal remains only 3% funded, and some of the world’s richest countries have failed to provide sufficient support.

Christian Aid condems shooting of Brazilian landless rights leader

January 28 2013 - Christian Aid has condemned the fatal shooting of Brazilian landless rights leader Cicero Guedes on Saturday. Mr Guedes, 54, a sugar cane cutter, was the leader of the landless people’s movement (MST) and was killed while returning home from a meeting on his bicycle.

Escalating violence in northern Mali is fuelling hunger in the Sahel

January 25 2013 - The recent escalation of fighting and the subsequent displacement of people within Mali and to neighbouring countries is exacerbating the Sahel’s chronic food crisis and contributing to ever-rising levels of malnutrition, warns Yacouba Kone, Christian Aid’s Mali country director.

Christian Aid Collective invites young people to share a meal and discuss issues of faith and injustice

January 18 2013 - The Christian Aid Collective is to host a series of meals around the country, where young Christians can share food and discuss what they can do together to end global poverty.

Christian Aid and Institute of Fundraising develop one hundred new fundraisers

January 7 2013 - In a drive to inspire generous giving and ensure a positive future, Christian Aid has invested in some specially tailored training for over one hundred of its regional and headquarters staff. Working with the Institute of Fundraising (IoF), the charity developed a three day classroom-based course which, taken with a short online IoF course, leads to staff being awarded the IoF’s Introduction to Fundraising Certificate.