Chief executive, Geoffrey Dennis, with children in Haiti. © CARE

Geoffrey Dennis, Chief Executive of CARE International UK, explains why the elections in the UK matter to people who live in developing countries.

"We go to the polls in less than a month. 2010 is a key year for Britain to take a lead in keeping global poverty at the top of the international agenda. The public will elect a government who will play a crucial role in the upcoming G8 and G20 meetings, as well as the Millennium Development Review. It is our duty to remind all the parties that international development matters to the people of the UK.

I recently visited Haiti, and met people whose lives had been turned upside down by the earthquake. CARE has so far reached over 310,000 people through the distribution of tarpaulins, shelter kits, mattresses, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene kits, jerry cans, kits for pregnant mothers and newborn babies, food, and water.

But humanitarian response in itself is not enough. We need to work with communities to reduce vulnerability and improve their ability to cope with future shocks. I feel passionately that the key to progress lies in giving people the assistance they need to help themselves. That is the reason I do my job.

The work of the British government in both humanitarian response and long term development is critical to poor and marginalised people in developing countries. At its best, the UK government acts as a catalyst in building the strength of communities. Whichever party is elected in the upcoming elections, we will urge them to keep and exceed their commitments to development."

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