Oxfam marks 75 years since its founding on 5 October 1942 by a small group concerned about civilians caught up in the battles of World War Two. The 'Oxford Committee for Famine Relief' called for the Allied blockade to be relaxed so food could reach starving people in Greece and Belgium, and raised money to help them.
Thanks to the generous support of the British public, Oxfam has worked since then to help people hit by disaster and make poverty a thing of the past for millions around the world. Its British headquarters are still in Oxford but over time it has grown into a global confederation working in more than 90 countries.
Last year Oxfam helped more than 22 million people worldwide, providing emergency aid in humanitarian crises and running long-term development projects to help poor communities improve their lives. At the same time, Oxfam campaigns for action to tackle poverty's root causes including climate change, inequality and discrimination against women.
