Poverty Matters: Progress on ending poverty, why hunger persists and withholding aid to Ethiopia

Progress on ending poverty, why hunger persists and withholding aid to Ethiopia We take stock of gains made on millennium development goal 1, and why the UK decided to withdraw support for an Ethiopian project If you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to get it in your inbox every two weeks, register for the email edition theguardian.com, Tuesday 3 March 2015 10.13 EST Jump to comments (…) A woman cooks in a Delhi slum. MDG1 set out to halve 1990 poverty and hunger rates by the end of 2015. Photograph: Donatella Giagnori/CON/LatinContent/Getty Images As the millennium development goals (MDGs) draw to a close, we’re taking stock of what progress has been achieved and what remains to be done. First up we looked at MDG1, which set out to halve 1990 poverty and hunger rates by the end of this year. You can read an explainer on the goal’s progress, see how small-scale farmers in Kenya have become part of the solution, and read the view of UN special rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Ever, on why hunger persists. After you’ve read up on the first MDG, test your knowledge with ourquiz on the fight to end poverty and hunger. You can also read more about the UK government’s decision to withdraw support for an Ethiopian scheme amid abuse allegations. The Department for International Development will no longer back a $4.9bn project that critics claimed involved a brutal resettlement programme. Plus, six months after the ceasefire, find out how aid agencies are calling for the international community to keep their promises on rebuilding Gaza. Elsewhere on the site Namibia’s president wins $5m African leadership prize Young Afghans strive for education and better lives after years of turmoil The best books on Burma: start your reading here Vulnerable families bear the brunt of Norway’s crackdown on asylum seekers Failing global war on drugs disastrous for low-income farmers, claims study Opinion Nobel peace laureate Leymah Gbowee argued there could be no end to South Sudan’s civil war without women playing a greater role in peace talks. Jonathan Glennie took a closer look at climate finance, claiming it’s not too late to reach a deal that would help poorer countries adapt to climate change. Meanwhile, the editors of Turkish women’s magazine 5Harflier explained the historical contextbehind current protests in the country against sexual violence. Multimedia Podcast: Two sides of the same bitcoin: are virtual currencies a plus for poor countries? – podcast Interactive: Global land deals: where foreign companies are investing in the developing world Gallery: How Bangladesh turns toilet waste into high-value compost – in pictures Gallery: Nepal’s women of the Terai Arc become forest conservationists – in pictures What you said: top reader comment On the piece 15 achievements on poverty and hunger, Henforthe wrote: Also apt in this discussion is the fight against infectious diseases. A plan was implemented in the early 2000s to eradicate malaria in Africa by this year. Unfortunately, this has failed – efforts against this and other diseases have been heroic but so far inadequate. Efforts to fight yellow fever seem to have stalled in the last few decades, and Aids still evades a cure. The pressure needs to be kept up. Having said that, the overall picture is certainly positive. Life for most in the developing world has improved, thanks both to economic development and targeted efforts. In the grand scheme of things, this is pretty big news. Highlight from the blogosphere Triple Crisis: Why the humanitarian community needs to take regional organisations seriously And finally … Poverty matters will return in two weeks with another roundup of the latest news and comment. In the meantime, keep up to date on the Global development website. Follow @gdndevelopment and the team –@swajones,@LizFordGuardian, @MarkC_Anderson and @CarlaOkai – on Twitter, and join Guardian Global development on Facebook. Sign up for the Guardian Today Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for the daily email