Ensuring funds help the poor in Zimbabwe

Freedom of Information Act 2000, request no. F2008/012

Date of release: 4 February 2008

How does Britain ensure its aid to Zimbabwe reaches the people who need it?

All UK aid to Zimbabwe is channelled through UN agencies and NGO’s with independent monitors reporting on aid delivery. No money goes to (or through) Government.

You may be interested to know that DFID are running a high impact, multi year humanitarian-plus’ programme. Our aid is making a real difference in a very difficult environment – in providing humanitarian relief, tackling the scourge of AIDS, providing food security and giving a voice to civil society in monitoring human rights abuses and demanding accountable government. We are:

Helping 1.5 million of the poorest people to grow more food, get access to clean water, and support community- based care for people living with HIV/ AIDS – our funding of seeds, fertiliser and improved farming methods has increased crop yields for poor farmers by up to 40%.
Enabling the International Organisation for Migration to help migrants and those forcibly displaced by Government – more than 100,000 deportees were helped in the first half of 2007 alone.
Providing HIV treatment to 30,000 people last year, and helping keep AIDS-affected children in school.
Promoting behaviour change that has led to the highest use of female condoms in the world and a drop in HIV rates from 20.0% in 2000 to 15.6% in 2007.
Providing £8 million to help the World Food Programme feed 3 million people by the end of 2007.
Assisting 700,000 urban poor with food vouchers, shelter and access to education

Further information can be found on our website