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The Fight Against World Poverty Is Our Common Challenge

Global lives

Never before have people from so many countries been connected in so many ways. We depend on one another. Our futures are tied together.

Big challenges

Our world faces the most profound challenges in a generation.

• 1.4 billion people live in poverty and the global downturn means many are at risk of staying poor.
• Too many people are trapped in poverty and endangered by war and instability.
• Climate change, mostly caused by developed countries like the UK, threatens the lives of poor people and ourselves.

Shared problems

Problems faced by poor countries affect all of us,including the UK:

• Prosperity. Britain’s fastest growing export markets are in poor countries. The economic downturn, weak financial regulation and unfair trade affect us all.
• Security. Weak government and social exclusion can be a source of conflict, and threaten peace and security around the world.
• Climate. Climate change will force many people to leave their homes. The UK summer floods in 2007 cost the country around £3 billion.

We have kept our promises on aid and we are on track to reach the historic UN target of 0.7% of national income by 2013.

The UK government spent £7.2 billion on development in 2008/09 and the DFID aid programme accounted for £5.8 billion (81%) of this expenditure.

Further information can be found at:

• Key statistics

Development changes lives. The UK government helps lift 3 million people out of poverty each year. British people can be proud that our collective effort has helped:

• 40 million more children go to school
• 3 million get life-preserving HIV and AIDS drugs
• 400 million people lift themselves from poverty in the last 10 years

You can find out more about some of our key achievements at:

• Key achievements

DFID works directly in over 150 countries worldwide. The top twenty countries that received bilateral aid in 2008/09 are:

For more information on which countries DFID works in:

• DFID's work around the world
• Statistics on International Development 2009

Today DFID works with over 200 international and UK civil society organisations and has direct or indirect links with thousands of civil society organisations in developing countries.

You can find out more at:

• How DFID works with Civil Society
• Statistics on International Development, 2008/09, Table 19 - DFID expenditure through UK CSOs 2008/09 [XLS - 38 KB]

DFID provides aid to people affected by humanitarian crises. For example, in October 2009 DFID donated £39 million in humanitarian assistance for the Horn of Africa in response to the threat of food shortages in Ethiopia, Kenya & Somalia.

DFID spent £449 million on bilateral humanitarian assistance during 2008/09 - the top ten bilateral recipients were:

• How we fight poverty: humanitarian disasters

In our interdependent world, we all have a part to play to make this world a better place for every one.  If everyone does their bit, we can achieve the goal of ending global poverty. Join us now and make your promise.
 
You can make your promise online and find out more about the UK government’s new White Paper, Eliminating World Poverty: Building our Common Future

You can also find out about the lots of different ways that you can contribute to ending poverty at our Getting Involved area

• Eliminating world poverty: Building our common future
• Get involved

As at March 2009

Staff in London office - 901

Staff in East Kilbride office - 512

UK staff currently based overseas - 410

Staff appointed in country - 763

Total = 2,586

• Staff numbers are included in our Annual Report