UKaid from the Department for International Development (DFID) is the part of the UK government that works in partnership with developing countries to promote development and reduce extreme poverty.

DFID’s goal is to support countries to reach the Millennium Development Goals, the international targets agreed by the United Nations (UN) to halve world poverty by 2015. DFID works with governments, as well as charities, businesses and international bodies, including the World Bank, UN agencies and the European Commission.

DFID supports long-germ programmes to help tackle the underlying causes of poverty. In 2008/09, the department provided £5.5 billion aid to poorer countries. By 2013, the equivalent of 0.7% of the UK’s gross national income will be dedicated to development assistance, from 0.36% in 2007/08.

EU development policy aims to give disadvantaged people in developing countries control over their own development, which means attacking the sources of their vulnerability. These can include poor access to food and clean water, to education, health, employment, land, social services, infrastructure or a sound environment. It also means disease eradication and access to cheap medicines to combat scourges like HIV/AIDS. EU policy aims to reduce the debt burden that diverts scarce resources from vital public investments back to rich lenders in industrialised countries.

The EU also promotes self-help and poverty eradication strategies which enable developing countries to consolidate the democratic process, expand social programmes, strengthen their institutional framework, expand the capacities of the private and public sectors, and reinforce respect for human rights, including equality between men and women.

Indepth information

Read more about DFID in Sierra Leone on the DFID website.

Read more about EU in Sierra Leone on the EU website.