UK unveils plan to double its funding to rebuild the Congo's road network

The UK will double its funding for a road-building in the Democratic Republic of Congo to improve access to some of the world's most remote regions, UK Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas announced today while on a visit.

The DRC has one of the least developed roads networks in the world - 95% of the DRC's 152,400 km of roads are effectively just paths, making it difficult to get food, medicine and trade routes open. Only one out of ten of the provincial capitals are easily accessible by road.

This severely hampers development prospects and has been cited as a reason the country is so poor. Of the 60 million citizens, around 45 million live on less than 50p a day. One in seven children die before their fifth birthday, and every day nearly 100 Congolese mothers die in childbirth.

During his visit to the country, Africa Minister Gareth Thomas announced the Department for International Development would double its funding for road building programmes from £38 million to £76 million.

The road building programme will bring together the Department for International Development (DFID), the Government of the DRC, the World Bank and other donors to build, and maintain, the country's roads. This is key to helping to promote trade and investment, as well as security.

The 'Pro-Routes' roads programme will:

* Support the DRC Government to open and maintain between 2,500 km and 3,000 km of priority roads;

* Provide better access to social services and markets;

* Help the Government of the DRC to run its own road-building and maintenance programme, and also help it to establish a 'second generation road fund', through tax on petrol and diesel sales;

* Boost the ability of private sector businesses to carry out road maintenance; and

* Develop a forward-thinking road sector strategy which will ensure the continuation of the roads programme, and also set up a wide-ranging environmental and social strategy which will ensure the natural forest of the DRC, and the population, is protected.

Gareth Thomas said: "With an area the size of western Europe, it only has 2,000 km of paved roads, compared with 398,000 km in the UK.

"By doubling the amount of UKaid for the DRC's road building project , ordinary citizens and businesses will get better access not only to medical care and schools, and also to export markets, which will help lift the country out of poverty.

"With the global economic crisis hitting developing countries like the DRC hardest, and 45 million people living on less than 50 pence a day, new roads will bring much-needed new development opportunities for the people of DRC, and help them live in peace and stability."

Studies have shown that in areas where there are no roads, bandits and rebels often commit crimes and then disappear into heavily forested areas to escape justice. Roads allow soldiers and police better access to keep law and order.

Better roads mean small-scale farmers can get their produce to market before it rots or spoils, and also brings down prices in the area by increasing competition from traders, thereby helping the local population.

Problems in getting medical supplies and aid to more remote regions because of poor transport links, leads to more women dying in childbirth, and children dying from preventable diseases.

The DRC is heavily reliant on imports, even on items which it grows or supplies from within its own borders, because exports can be brought in more cheaply.

Students urged to apply for voluntary work abroad after A-Levels

Students looking for post- A Level inspiration are being encouraged to consider volunteering in developing countries via a fully-funded Government scheme.

Not sure what to do now that you have your A Level results? Make sure you apply for fully funded Platform2 trips by early October. Have you ever considered doing volunteer work in a developing country but didn't think you could afford it? Platform2 might be your answer.

Platform2 is a global volunteering experience funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) and run by Christian Aid and BUNAC. You could spend 10 weeks in a developing country working on projects like these:

* South Africa, volunteering with the Johannesburg Child Welfare Society which directly assists over 18,000 abused, abandoned, neglected, orphaned and vulnerable children each year; or

* Nepal, constructing a much-needed new secondary school building and teaching at the after-school clubs; and

* Kenya, working on a project to stop deforestation by helping communities make money in more eco-friendly ways, like fish farming and bee-keeping

Over 700 young people have already been on Platform2 projects including

23 year old volunteer Sarah Owen, who has recently returned from India.

"Whilst in India, I worked on a women's equality project and formed relationships with young women my age I will never forget. I collected traditional songs from the women I worked with, and have taught them to young people in my own community back here in Devon. They have been fascinated to learn the songs and hear my stories - I think Platform2 is a chance for young people to see the world in a different way and encourage us to have compassion for others from all different walks of life."

You can apply online or download the application from www.myplatform2.com. Completed applications, references and either a photocopy of your passport (or if you don't have a passport, your birth certificate) need to be received by October.

(DFID) Food for thought: putting more ethical products from Africa on our shelves

New African products will appear on supermarket shelves thanks to a new fund formally launched today by Trade and Development Minister, Gareth Thomas.

The FRICH (Food Retail Industry Challenge fund) will support six projects to bring a range of new tea, coffees and fruit juices from across Africa to the UK, with a total investment of around £3 million. Projects are co funded by FRICH and the companies implementing them.

The six companies chosen to receive funding so far are:

* Blue Skies (fruit juice from Ghana)
* Waitrose LEAF (environmentally-sustainable fruit and vegetables)
* The Co-Operative Group (tea from Kenya)
* Sainsbury's (coffees from Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo)
* Betty's and Taylors of Harrogate (tea from Rwanda)
* Cafedirect (hot drinks from Sao Tome and Tanzania)

Research shows nearly three-quarters of consumers in the UK want to reduce poverty through their shopping choices. However, statistics show that we still spend only 3 percent of our food shopping budget on products from developing countries. The new funding will help bridge this gap and ensure that everyone involved gets a fair deal.

The launch of the first six FRICH projects takes place during the first ever World Trade Week in the UK (8th-14th June), an event to highlight the importance of trade as a tool for recovery from the global economic downturn.

Speaking at the launch of FRICH today, Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas said:

"Seven out of ten Africans depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, and the ability to trade with a large UK retailer will make a big difference to farmers across the continent.

"I am delighted to see that all of the retailers chosen to receive FRICH funding are putting the money to good use, producing an exciting new range of African products which will enable UK consumers to help developing countries with their shopping even more.

"This week is the first ever World Trade Week in the UK, and the work that these companies are doing is a perfect example of how trade can offer a vital route out of poverty to some of the world's poorest people."

(DFID) Changing the image of UK fashion: Government launches fund to make fashion industry more ethical

A pioneering initiative to help clothing manufacturers improve working conditions for their producers in developing countries was today launched by Minister for Trade and Development Gareth Thomas.

The RAGS (Responsible and Accountable Garment Sector) fund will make £3.5 million available over three years for bids from companies who want to make their clothing business more ethical and contribute more strongly to development in poor countries.

A Challenge Fund will be set up that invites bids for work that will make a real difference - which might include companies working with unions and others to explore responsible business practices, projects to raise workers' awareness of their rights, and ways of generating more viable and decent jobs in garment making in poorer areas.

The fund will support and encourage "ethical pioneers" in the fashion industry - people and companies who have innovative ideas with the potential to drive change in the garment sector.

Gareth Thomas launched RAGS with a group of models wearing ethical fashion items as part of the first ever World Trade Week UK; an event to highlight the importance of trade as a tool for recovery from the global economic downturn.

Speaking at the launch today, Trade and Development Minister Gareth Thomas said:
"RAGS is a fun name but it carries a serious message. The garment sector has for too long been associated with abuse and exploitation of workers in developing countries.

"I am therefore pleased to be able to launch this new initiative, which will help to make a real difference to how retailers in this country work with producers in developing countries. The benefits of the garment sector for development are huge - particularly for women - and it's important that we encourage producers here to take more action to make a positive impact.

"Responsible, ethical production should be the norm in the fashion industry, not the exception, and RAGS will help to change the image of the fashion sector."

RAGS is the first initiative of its kind from the Department for International Development (DFID) and will help to improve the lives of people working in the garment sector, which employs some 20 million people worldwide.

The UK garment industry is heavily dependent on products from developing countries - only 10 % of UK clothing is manufactured here - but the sector comes under a lot of criticism for worker abuses such as unfair pay and forced labour. RAGS responds to calls for action for an end to such practices in the sector.

(DFID) World Trade Week UK - defending open trade

An early-warning system to help guard against nations turning to protectionist policies during the global recession is launched today as part of the UK Government's ongoing commitment to open trade.

Speaking at an international conference to mark the start of the first-ever World Trade Week UK, Business Secretary Lord Mandelson and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said that defending open trade remained the most powerful means of rebuilding global prosperity and fighting global poverty.

Lord Mandelson underlined the UK's commitment to keep global trade flowing as he announced that the UK is co-financing a new independent anti-protectionism watchdog. Global Trade Alert will unite a worldwide network of think tanks to provide governments with independent analysis of trade-distorting policies. It will produce evidence of the damage protectionist policies are doing and advise on the least protectionist ways to provide support and stability to economies through the downturn.

Douglas Alexander demonstrated the UK Government's determination that the poorest countries should be assisted in the global economic downturn as he announced that funding for Aid for Trade has increased to £800 million - an increase of 60 per cent since 2005.

Aid for Trade funding has been spent delivering a range of new projects, such as the North South Corridor which is helping to improve transport and trading links across eight African countries by upgrading roads and improving border crossings.

Lord Mandelson said:

"Calls for protection from imports are always made most loudly during times of recession.

"New barriers to global trade are a sure-fire way to make the global recession longer and more painful that it might otherwise be. Now more than ever, we need to stand firm and defend open trade.

"The Global Trade Alert will complement the work of the World Trade Organisation and others on behalf of the G20, as well as advocating the importance of free trade."

Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander said:

"An economic downturn hits the world's poorest people the hardest and it's therefore more important than ever that we keep international trade flowing at this time.

"World Trade Week UK is an important opportunity to demonstrate how vital trade is in helping people in developing countries to earn their way out of poverty.

"Aid for Trade means that we can help many more people across Africa to have a better opportunity to make a living through trade by improving access to markets, upgrading transport and infrastructure and making borders more efficient."

The Global Trade Alert will complement the World Trade Organisation's G20 commitment to monitor protectionism by providing real-time alerts. The website will monitor not just tariff barriers - which are heavily constrained by WTO rules - but non-tariff barriers and national crisis measures adopted by countries in response to the downturn.

(DFID) Swift UK response to un appeal for Pakistan

The UK has given an additional £10 million to help over 2,000,000 people displaced by the fighting in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and North West Frontier Province of Pakistan. This is in immediate response to an urgent UN Appeal for humanitarian assistance for those fleeing the unrest in Pakistan, announced Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander today.

The new commitment brings the UK's contribution to addressing the humanitarian situation in Pakistan to £22m. The £10 million will be distributed through the UN to aid agencies working in NWFP. They will provide food, water emergency shelter and other critical humanitarian help to those most in need.

Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander said:

"The UK is deeply concerned for the wellbeing of over two million people displaced by this conflict. A mass movement of people of this scale poses huge humanitarian challenges. The aid agencies on the ground are doing heroic work under extremely difficult conditions and we are determined to support their efforts. This extra money will help the UN manage a coordinated and effective international response to this crisis to allow those affected by the fighting take the first steps towards rebuilding their lives.

"The UK stands ready to assist the Government of Pakistan to combat the shared threat of violent extremism and we remain strongly committed to our partnership with the people of Pakistan."

DFID is providing £665 million of assistance to Pakistan from 2009 to 2013. By 2011, it will be the UK's second largest development programme worldwide. We are committing £250 million over five years to help put more children into school, improve teaching and provide the skills young people need to get jobs.

DfID response to ICRC announcement on aid access to Sri Lanka

In response to the ICRC announcement that it is unable to evacuate war wounded to safety or provide aid to the 50,000 civilians trapped in the conflict zone of Sri Lanka,

Secretary of State for International Development, Douglas Alexander, said:

"I am utterly appalled that the ICRC is no longer able to continue its operations in northern Sri Lanka.

"Since September last year, the ICRC has been the only humanitarian agency allowed to work in the conflict zone, and now even this lifeline has been denied to more than 50,000 people.

"Over the last four months alone, the ICRC has evacuated by ship over 14,000 sick and wounded people. Denying this life-saving evacuation and medical treatment is a fundamental violation of International Humanitarian Law.

"This deplorable situation rightly brings international condemnation of both parties to the conflict. There is simply no justification for allowing such needless suffering.

"The Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE must immediately guarantee safe access to the ICRC to restart their life-saving work."

(DFID) New financial boost for businesses in developing countries from the UK Government

Businesses in developing countries are struggling to survive due to the economic downturn and need urgent financial support, said Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander.

At the London Summit, world leaders are working to stabilise financial markets and help families and businesses across the world to get through the recession.

And the UK Government today (THURS) intends to take practical action to support firms across the globe, helping stimulate trade in developing countries and ensuring sustainable growth.

This will be done through the World Bank's new initiative called the Global Trade Liquidity Programme (GTLP) set up to support small and medium businesses by helping address the trade finance shortage in developing countries through international banks.

The UK Government, through its development finance institution CDC, intends to make a contribution of up to £300m to the GTLP.

Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander said: "Private sector businesses are an essential engine of growth and play a vital role in stimulating global trade, which provides a lifeline to millions of people across the globe.

"People in developing countries have been disproportionately hard-hit by the economic crisis. This money will help firms keep going during the difficult climate and help to protect and create jobs.

"This is not an initiative to help make commercial banks richer.

Participating banks must all commit to using the money to support trade in developing countries. In the first phase, this will include Kenya, Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles and Zambia." The proposed sum alone could help fund beween £2bn and £3bn of trade over the next two years, helping small and medium firms to import and export products. The UK money will be invested in the GTLP on a loan basis.

The shortage in trade finance, due to the current economic crisis, is a significant threat to world trade - already projected to decline by about nine per cent this year. The World Trade Organisation has suggested there could be a global shortfall of between $100bn and $300bn.

(DFID) £16m UK boost to save mothers in Sierra Leone

Pregnant women in Sierra Leone - where more women die giving birth than anywhere else in the world - will be given life-saving health-care thanks to a new UK scheme launched today by International Development Minister, Ivan Lewis.

Currently, women in Sierra Leone are 160 times more likely to die during childbirth compared to women in the UK, with women having a one in six chance of dying in childbirth during their lifetime.

The UK will provide £16 million to support the Government of Sierra Leone's Reproductive and Child Health programme (RCH). The scheme will save tens of thousands of lives by providing training for new midwives, better clinics and access to basic drugs.

Speaking after meeting with the President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, in Freetown today, Ivan Lewis said:

"It is shocking that so many mothers die during child-birth in Sierra Leone, leaving children without a mother and families completely devastated. "The lives of many mothers could be saved with access to basic health care and the help of a midwife - things that are normal for us but out-of-reach for the World's poorest.

"It is right that we give people a fighting chance and that is why the UK is taking action to support pregnant women across Africa".

Launched by the President of Sierra Leone in 2008 the ambitious RCH plan is a much needed kick-start and aims to reduce the number of pregnant women and children dying by 30%. The Plan includes a minimum package of essential health services including:

* Basic health care for pregnant women and children under 5
* Increased immunization to prevent measles and tetanus
* Malaria awareness raising campaign and increase use of treated bednets
* Promote basic hygiene to tackle completely preventable deaths from diarrhoeal illnesses

(DFID) UK keeps up aid commitments

Secretary of State says aid more important than ever during economic downturn

New aid level figures published today by the Department for International Development show the UK is on track in its fight against poverty in developing countries.

The figures, which set out the level of aid given by the UK to developing countries during 2008, show the Government is honouring its commitment to helping the world's poorest people, who are most vulnerable during the global economic downturn.

The UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending for 2008 was £6.3bn, or 0.43 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI); an increase on 2007's £4.9bn, or 0.36 per cent. The increase reflects both a steady rise in DFID spending alongside a significant rise in other official development expenditure.

The figures show that the UK remains on course to spend 0.7% of national income on development by 2013, two years ahead of the EU target. The UK is also on target to meet its share of the commitments made by the G8 at Gleneagles in 2005 to spend an additional $50 billion in developing countries by 2010, half of it in Africa.

Commenting on today's ODA figures, International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said:

"We are unfaltering in our commitment to help people living in the poorest countries. For some of those who were already living in extreme poverty, the current economic crisis has had a devastating impact."

Earlier this month, the Secretary of State warned how he feared more than 90 million people could be plunged into poverty by the end of next year because of the impact of the global economic downturn.

And he urged donor countries to follow the lead of the UK and continue to meet their aid commitments helping maintain progress towards the achievement of poverty-reduction targets including the Millennium Development Goals.

UK aid is making a real difference on-the-ground by:

* Improving maternal and child health eg by providing nearly £100m to support Pakistan's maternal, newborn and child health work from 2008/13

* Increasing access to education eg by paying the wages of 100,000 teachers in Afghanistan so that today six million children can go to school, including two million girls

* Supporting countries in the fight against HIV/AIDS eg by helping prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria with a £62m programme between 2002/08

* Improving access to clean, fresh water eg by investing £75m in Ethiopia over the next five years to increase people's access to fresh water and improved sanitation facilities

* Providing a safety net for some of the poorest in the world eg DFID's 10-year Social Protection Programme, is helping some of the poorest people in Kenya, including 30,000 orphans, with funding of more than £120m.

(DFID) A matter of life and death for Kenya's mums but a mothers' day lie-in for UK

A new YouGov poll reveals that 52% of women in Britain were 'most worried' about receiving pain relief during childbirth, and 50% said they were concerned about getting to the hospital on time.

For pregnant women in Nyanza Province, just getting to the hospital can pose huge problems, with many needing to walk for more than an hour whilst in labour to get medical care at the local hospital.

In Kenya though, with DFID's assistance and the help of the British taxpayer, innovative solutions are being found to local problems, such as paying for a motorbike ambulance which is helping to save lives in a rural area.

A motorbike-ambulance operates in Nyanza Province and is fitted with a sidecar, which is used to transport women to their nearest maternity hospital. This 200cc motorbike-ambulance, which is specially built for negotiating rough rural terrain, has a specially constructed padded sidecar, in which a patient can lie down safely strapped in. The motorbike-ambulance collects women from the lakeside villages, meaning mum and baby have a much better chance of survival.

Here in Britain, 42% of Mums are worried about the financial pressures of raising a child. In Kenya, money worries after the birth are much less of an issue (20%); instead 30 per cent of new mums in Nyanza province worry about not being able to easily access good maternity care.

One penny in every UK tax pound goes towards helping the poorest countries and funds projects such as DFID's Essential Health Services programme, providing pre-natal and postnatal care for mothers and babies in Nyanza Province. A health centre building is currently being refurbished as a maternity wing and is due to open in May.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary said:
"Women's health is critical to a country's future. When a mother dies in childbirth everyone suffers - her child, her family and her community.
"That's why DFID makes improving maternal health in developing countries such a priority - from training for nurse-midwives, as I saw for myself in Kisumu in Kenya, to funding clinics, ambulances, immunisation programmes and health education."

Mary Atieno, 24, from Gwassa in Nyanza Province, is due to have her child on Mother's Day. She is considering naming her baby Doreen - after the senior midwife at Magunga. Mrs Atieno says:

"I'm not worried now about any problems - I'll come to the hospital and anything can be sorted out. The sister knows how to make everything all right."

Judith Awuma, 22, is attending the post-natal clinic with her six week old son, Joseph:

"We came to hospital because we know it's safer - my grandmother wanted me to stay in the village, but I said no. You can be helped in the hospital if there are complications. It was my first pregnancy, and I wanted everything to go right."

Watch the DFID film

(DFID) Young people to advise Ministers and world leaders on fight against global poverty

Fifty young people from across the UK have been invited by the Department for International Development (DFID) to help shape government policy to eliminate world poverty and share their views with world leaders ahead of the London Summit next month.

The DFID Youth Summit on Friday, 20 March will see 16-24 year olds from youth boards of charities and government departments gather in London to discuss how conflict, climate change and the economic crisis can be tackled to reduce global poverty. Their views will be presented to the Government and help inform the contents of DFID's new policy on the future of international development. The views of the young people will also form part of a global Youth Communique for the London Summit on 2 April which will be shared with every G20 country delegation present.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, said:

"We live in an interconnected world. What happens here in the UK has an effect on the developing world and vice versa. Tackling climate change, reducing conflict, rebuilding the global economy - all are global problems that need global solutions.

"Young people are part of these solutions. I want to hear young people's views about what world leaders should do at the G20 London Summit, and what our priorities should be for our new White Paper that lays out our strategy for fighting world poverty."

The global economic downturn is hitting the poorest hardest. By the end of this year, the effects of the global downturn could force as many as 46 million people into extreme poverty.

The Summit, organised by the DFID Civil Society Children and Youth Network, will provide young representatives from international leading charities, such as Plan International and UNICEF, and government Youth Boards the chance to ask questions and debate each of these topics.

Ed Balls, Education Secretary, said:
"I know from visiting schools and colleges up and down the country that young people are passionate about preventing global warming, tackling poverty and preventing diseases like HIV and malaria, both in this country and all over the world.

"There are very real issues facing world leaders right now and I want young people - the future generation - to able to contribute their ideas and really make a difference. I'm delighted that this event will help them do that and I look forward to hearing what they have to say."

(DFID) London women compare themselves to Kenya's motorbike mums

With Mother's Day fast approaching and mums in London are looking forward to being given chocolates, breakfast-in-bed or homemade cards, the Department for International Development (DFID) wants to show how people in London have helped save lives in places where simply becoming a mother is fraught with danger.

Whereas mums in London are concerned about getting pain relief while giving birth or getting to the hospital on time, women in Nyanza province, in Kenya, worry about their babies surviving in an area where one in five children do not live to see their fifth birthday. Figures also show that 560 women per 100,000 in Kenya (rising to 1,000 in some parts of Kenya's Nyanza province) die during pregnancy, in childbirth or postnatal period. This compares to eight per 100,000 for the UK.

A new YouGov poll, reveals that 27 per cent of women in London were 'very worried' about not being able to lose their 'baby-weight', and 40 per cent said they were concerned about the impact the patter of tiny feet would have on their finances.

For pregnant women in Nyanza Province, just getting to the hospital can pose huge problems, with many needing to walk for more than an hour whilst in labour to get medical care at the local hospital.

In Kenya though, with DFID's assistance and the help of the British taxpayer, innovative solutions are being found to local problems, such as paying for a motorbike ambulance which is helping to save lives in a rural area.

A motorbike-ambulance operates in Nyanza Province and is fitted with a sidecar, which is used to transport women to their nearest maternity hospital. This 200cc motorbike-ambulance, which is specially built for negotiating rough rural terrain, has a specially constructed padded sidecar, in which a patient can lie down safely strapped in. The motorbike-ambulance collects women from the lakeside villages, meaning mum and baby have a much better chance of survival.

Financial worries after the birth are much less of an issue than the fact that 30 per cent of new mums in Nyanza province worry about not being able to easily access good maternity care.

One penny in every UK tax pound goes towards helping the poorest countries and funds projects such as DFID's Essential Health Services programme, providing pre-natal and postnatal care for mothers and babies in Nyanza Province. A health centre building is currently being refurbished as a maternity wing and is due to open in May.

Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary said:

"Women's health is critical to a country's future. When a mother dies in childbirth everyone suffers - her child, her family and her community.

"That's why DFID makes improving maternal health in developing countries such a priority - from training for nurse-midwives, as I saw for myself in Kisumu in Kenya, to funding clinics, ambulances, immunisation programmes and health education."

Mary Atieno, 24, from Gwassa in Nyanza Province, is due to have her child on Mother's Day. She is considering naming her baby Doreen - after the senior midwife at Magunga. Mrs Atieno says:

"I'm not worried now about any problems - I'll come to the hospital and anything can be sorted out. The sister knows how to make everything all right."

Judith Awuma, 22, is attending the post-natal clinic with her six week old son, Joseph:

"We came to hospital because we know it's safer - my grandmother wanted me to stay in the village, but I said no. You can be helped in the hospital if there are complications. It was my first pregnancy, and I wanted everything to go right."