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For example, the UK gives around 0.7% of its GDP in aid to developing countries. Or multi-lateral meaning a government gives aid to a non-governmental organisation who distribute the aid themselves. Both delivery methods of aid have been criticised for differing reasons, while a more controversial aspect of aid is that it can come in the form of tied aid in which the donor country transfers aid in exchange for a service by the recipient
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In fact, in the HDI table rankings, Sub-Saharan African countries make up all ten of the bottom countries. So what is happening to the money and why has there been no change to the horrific scenes of poverty? The blame lies partly on the nature of government and the astronomic level of corruption that plagues Sub-Saharan Africa. Governments in developing countries tend to place power in the hands of the few, meaning that only a few are in control of the aid money. African leaders use the money to finance their extravagant lifestyles, despite the majority of their state’s population living in absolute poverty. For example, in Zimbabwe, over 80% of the population live below the poverty line; however Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe owns a home worth $30 million, an extravagant purchase in relation to the general poverty of his population and the fact that his official salary is only $58,000. Realists also argue that aid may actually increase corruption as autocratic leaders may also strengthen their political control by using aid to fund attacks against their opposition and to bribe ethnic or tribal groups in order to sway popularity. Peter Eigen, founder of the …show more content…
According to Oxfam, ‘Food aid saves lives, but it crowds out other …initiatives that support communities’ strategies to prevent the next drought being a disaster.’ Oxfam believe that food aid causes people to forget about the problem at hand and not plan for the next disaster. Also, the spread of food aid mean the population of developing countries do not worry about their own crops as if their crops fail they always have the escape route of free food aid. Food aid, would therefore be seen as only effective in the short run in alleviating starvation and famine but in the long run food aid is not only in effective it is also detrimental to solving the agricultural problem in developing
In fact, in the HDI table rankings, Sub-Saharan African countries make up all ten of the bottom countries. So what is happening to the money and why has there been no change to the horrific scenes of poverty? The blame lies partly on the nature of government and the astronomic level of corruption that plagues Sub-Saharan Africa. Governments in developing countries tend to place power in the hands of the few, meaning that only a few are in control of the aid money. African leaders use the money to finance their extravagant lifestyles, despite the majority of their state’s population living in absolute poverty. For example, in Zimbabwe, over 80% of the population live below the poverty line; however Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe owns a home worth $30 million, an extravagant purchase in relation to the general poverty of his population and the fact that his official salary is only $58,000. Realists also argue that aid may actually increase corruption as autocratic leaders may also strengthen their political control by using aid to fund attacks against their opposition and to bribe ethnic or tribal groups in order to sway popularity. Peter Eigen, founder of the …show more content…
According to Oxfam, ‘Food aid saves lives, but it crowds out other …initiatives that support communities’ strategies to prevent the next drought being a disaster.’ Oxfam believe that food aid causes people to forget about the problem at hand and not plan for the next disaster. Also, the spread of food aid mean the population of developing countries do not worry about their own crops as if their crops fail they always have the escape route of free food aid. Food aid, would therefore be seen as only effective in the short run in alleviating starvation and famine but in the long run food aid is not only in effective it is also detrimental to solving the agricultural problem in developing