UK - Department for International Development (DFID)

DFID is the "part of the UK Government that manages Britain's aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty." In the Middle East, DFID claims to reduce Palestinian poverty by encouraging development, but significant funding goes towards politicised NGOs that campaign on external agendas as opposed to internal development, and use their status to demonize Israel.

NGOs funded by DFID include Christian Aid, Oxfam, the Overseas Development Institute, Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC), Ramallah Centre for Human Rights, the Palestinian NGO Network and the Land Research Centre.

More information:

• Norway and UK governments contribute to World Bank grant for Palestinians, 12 April 2008.
• NGO Monitor's submission to the International Development Committee Inquiry on the Humanitarian and Development situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, March 20, 2008
• NGO Monitor Submission to the House of Lords Sub-Committee C (Foreign affairs, Defence and Development policy) Inquiry into “The European Union and the Middle East Peace Process”, 14 March 2007
• NGO Monitor, UK Parliamentary Committee Embraces NGO Agenda in Report on Development Assistance to the Palestinians, February 6, 2007
• Aluf Benn, "British embassy funding Israeli NGO study on impact of separation fence", Haaretz, February 6, 2007
• Jonny Paul, "UK MP study opposes Hamas boycott", The Jerusalem Post, January 31, 2007.
• UK parliamentary select committee on International Development discusses NGO Monitor's evidence on Christian Aid and UK funding for NGOs that work in Israel and with Palestinians." Hear recording at 1hr 2min 28 secs
  • Excerpt from transcript related to NGO Monitor
  • Complete transcript
  • Gerald M. Steinberg, "Getting beyond slogans of Palestinian victimization," The Jerusalem Post, November 4, 2006.
  • Yisrael Medad's description of the Select Committee's visit to his home during their visit to Israel, November 2006
• NGO Monitor’s Submission to the International Development Committee Inquiry on Development Assistance and the Occupied Palestinian Territories - October 12, 2006 
• DFID funding of Israeli and Palestinian NGOs detailed in letter - July 12, 2006 (PDF)
• Update: DFID January 11, 2006.
• NGO Monitor's Update on DFID - November 3, 2005
• DFID InfoFile