Page 41 - The World About Us

Storm damage
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How can aid both help and hinder development?

Overseas aid is o en controversial.
Some complain that aid is o en used to
benefit the poli cal and economic
interests of the donor country, more
than that of the recipient. Others say
that aid money would be be er spent
sor ng out problems at home, rather
than being spent in faraway lands.
Many people support aid efforts
from a moral or religious perspec ve,
believing it is our duty to help those less
fortunate than ourselves.
Some supporters look at the history
of colonialism and slavery and believe
that aid is a poli cal choice: to help undo
some of the damage done to poorer
countries in the past by the European
‘Great Powers’. Others will disagree,
poin ng to conflicts or corrup on in the
developing world, arguing that aid may fig.104 Ac on Against Hunger team unload UK-donated sanita on kits in Northern Iraq.
well be helping keep corrupt poli cians assessment of all the evidence. Egypt ($1.5 billion), Afghanistan ($1.1
or dictators in power. billion), Jordan ($1 billion) and Pakistan
Aid has always been controversial,
Whatever your own views on aid in not least because it has been used by ($933 million). 75% of US military aid
general, and individual aid projects in the donor countries to support regimes went to just two countries: Israel ($3.1
par cular, geographers should be able to which they consider to be allies in billion) and Egypt ($1.3 billion). Many
argue that this list shows aid is being
think about all the arguments for and geopoli cal terms. used to support poli cal and military
against any par cular course of ac on.
In 2014 the top five recipients of US allies rather than help those most in
Opinions should be jus fied on an economic aid were: Israel ($3.1 billion), need of development assistance.

5 arguments FOR aid 5 arguments AGAINST aid
KEY TERMS
We have a moral duty, as members of Money spent abroad cannot be spent
1the same human race, to help those 1at home helping people who are
less fortunate than ourselves. suffering from poverty here.
Poverty and despera on makes the Overseas aid helps to prop up
2world an unsafe place. Aid can help 2dictators and fuels corrup on in
fig.105 Desperate migrants take to
overcome divisions and make us all safer the sea, crossing to Europe, 2015. developing na ons.
and more prosperous.
Countries like India, which have a
Countries not mired in poverty, and 3space programme and nuclear
3with growing economies, will become weapons, should not receive aid which
markets for our own export goods, so allows them to shirk their responsibili es
benefi ng us all. to their own people.
The Advanced Countries are mostly Aid dona ons are insignificant
4advanced because of their history of 4compared to interest payments to the
colonialism, which impoverished much of interna onal banks from developing
the world. We should pay back some of na ons. Aid is simply a s cking plaster to
what was stolen. cover a more serious problem.
fig.106 Unloading UK aid in the
Countries making progress are less DRC, 2008. Six flights bring in items Aid can lead to dependency on
5likely to become the source regions for 11,000 displaced families; 11,300 5further aid. Dona ons of food or
for economic migrants and refugees, who tarpaulins, 18,000 blankets, 24,000 second-hand clothing can undermine local
are seeking a be er life elsewhere. buckets & 1 million aquapure tabs. economies and destroy livelihoods.

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The world is developing unevenly.