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Whilst the global fight against poverty is progressing, a group of 45* countries in situations of acute fragility continue to fall behind. In addition, the global financial crisis, social unrest, growing population pressures and environmental degradation may lead to new or renewed situations of fragility.

For the development and stabilisation of these countries, aid is only one part of an equation that also includes domestic revenues, foreign direct investment and remittances. The coherence of global policies on trade, investment, agriculture, security, energy, migration and illicit flows matters just as much as aid volumes.

 At the same time, aid can have a vital, countercyclical role, particularly in times of turmoil. For this role to be realised, however, aid needs to be targeted towards peacebuilding and statebuilding goals, its allocation optimised across countries, and its quality improved.

Consult the full list of recent publications in the Conflict & Fragility Series.

 
>> Back to Financing, risk management and resource flows

*The list of countries in fragile situations used for this analysis (neither an official DAC list nor an official definition) is a compilation of two lists: the Harmonised List of Fragile Situations (2009; World Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank) and the 2009 Fund for Peace Failed States Index. The list includes Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh, which together represent one-third of the total population living in these 45 countries.