the fortunes of the ten richest have doubled since the start of the epidemic, according to Oxfam

Since the start of the epidemic, the world has a new billionaire every 26 hours. This is one of the lessons that emerges from the latest report on global inequalities released by Oxfam on Monday 17 January. We also learn that the fortunes of billionaires have increased more in 19 months of the pandemic than in the last decade.

“If we look at France, billionaires have increased their fortunes by 236 billion euros during the crisis, explains on RFI Quentin Parinello, spokesperson for Oxfam France. And we can clearly see that it is not thanks to the economic activity of the companies in which they have shares but because there has been unprecedented public support in response to the crisis, in particular by injecting these hundreds billions of euros in the financial markets.”

More generally, the NGO “Growing economic, gender and racial inequalities and inequalities between countries are destroying our world”. All the data compiled in this report shows an unprecedented enrichment of the wealthiest. She adds that “we can overcome extreme poverty through progressive taxation” and public health systems that are free for all. Oxfam also recommends not to hinder the creation of unions and to remove intellectual property from vaccine patents.

Inequality contributes to death, says Oxfam “of at least 21,000 people a day” based on global deaths due to lack of access to healthcare, gender-based violence, hunger and the climate crisis. “A windfall tax of 99% on the income from the pandemic of the ten richest men would produce enough vaccines for the world, provide universal social and medical protection, finance climate adaptation and reduce climate-related violence. gender in 80 countries”, gives the example of the NGO. She specifies that this would nevertheless leave “8 billion more than before the pandemic to these men”.