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Global issues: development assistance, military aid, debt forgiveness, and control of international institutions such as the World Bank (2009)
This section of Hunger Notes includes
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military aid and other elements of developed country influence and the political interests and issues behind them. This section will include ways in which developed countries try to influence the political and economic outcome of developing countries. This will include military 'aid' which, like development 'assistance' is not just aid in an altruistic sense, but typically involves self interest, possibly to a very high degree, on the part of the donor nation. It will also include use of other aspects such as legal structures, public opinion, and a significant level of control of international institutions. This section will also include developing country reaction to developed country efforts. It will not include the world trading structure which is covered in another Hunger Notes section, Global issues: trade, hunger and poverty.
Millions in Kenyan free primary education funds appear to have been stolen-- the World Bank and British government suspend funding for the program Afrique en ligne December 19, 2009 See Hunger Notes special report: Harmful economic systems
World leaders at UN summit vow to aid farmers in bid to help starving [though past record of assistance has been dismal] Richard Owen Times Online November 16, 2009 There has been a record of overall failure of governments to address world hunger. In spite of the 1995 World Food Summit commitment to reduce world hunger by half from 824 billion then to 412 billion by 2015, the number of hungry people has in fact increased to over 1 billion. Two recent studies address this failure: the Right to Food and Nutrition Watch 2009 by Fian International and others and Bridging the Divide by Oxfam. See Hunger Notes special report: Food is a human right--or is it?
Administration names agriculture official to run the United States Agency for International Development, ending long delay Mark Landler New York Times November 10, 2009
Slowed funding threatens AIDS fight, group says--recession, other factors causing international donors to pull back Karin Brulliard Washington Post November 5, 2009
Ending Africa's hunger: do the Gates Foundation efforts help or hurt? Raj Patel, Eric Holt-Gimenez & Annie Shattuck The Nation September 29, 2009
China spreads aid in Africa, with some catches (corruption, secrecy and long term indebtedness of the borrowing country) Sharon LaFraniere and John Grobler New York Times September 21, 2009
US halts aid over Honduras coup BBC News September 3, 2009
Leadership vacancy raises fears about USAID's future Mary Beth Sheridan Washington Post August 5, 2009
G8 pledges to increase assistance to developing country agriculture BBC News July 10, 2009
G8 pressured to honor aid pledges--the global recession has helped reduce aid from wealthy nations even as it pushes millions more into poverty Howard LaFranchi Christian Science Monitor July 9, 2009 G8's promise to Africa is likely to be broken--pledge to double aid by 2010 far behind schedule Kathryn Hopkins The Guardian June 11, 2009
IMF voting shares: no plans for significant changes (high income countries run the IMF, with almost no voice for low income countries) Mark Weisbrot and Jake Johnston Center for Economic and Policy Research May 10, 2009
The G20 and Global Poverty Neil Watkins Jubilee USA April 8, 2009
Official report faults Iraq reconstruction, citing massive waste, bad planning Karen DeYoung Washington Post December 15, 2008
Report: US uses aid to promote non-humanitarian goals Colum Lynch Washington Post November 19, 2008 More information about the Humanitarian Response Index 2008
Basic analysis of United States foreign aid
U.S. Foreign Aid Explained Lane Vanderslice June 5, 2005
This article describes the four principal components of U.S. foreign aid:
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development assistance ($8.4 billion in 2005) to assist in the development of poor (and other) countries. The principal components assisting poor countries are the USAID Child Survival account, the USAID development assistance account, the State Departments Global HIV/AIDS initiative, the Millennium Challenge account, and contributions to multilateral development banks such as the World Bank. There are also two accounts assisting Eastern Europe and countries of the former Soviet Union, most of which are higher income countries.
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humanitarian assistance ($2.3 billion in 2005) goes to those very much in need, because they are in a natural or man-made disaster (such as war) or because they are refugees.
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military and security assistance ($7.8 billion in 2005) provides assistance to U.S. allies, principally through financing military purchases by these countries or making budget support payments to their governments.
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narcotics control initiatives ($1.0 billion) to assist countries in eradicating drugs and providing alternative employment. Assistance to country police forces is also made.
Official Development Assistance. How much are developed countries contributing to developing countries? What is official development assistance--what is counted and what is not?
Half of total assistance, $9.7 billion in 2005, is development and humanitarian assistance that goes to poor countries. (Some development and humanitarian assistance goes to countries that are not classified as poor, such as many countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.)
Official development assistance (ODA) measures how much each developed country gives to developing countries, both in terms of United States dollars and as a percentage of each countries gross national product. The United States gives the largest amount of development assistance, but it only gives .17 of one percent of its gross national income (GNI), substantially below the average country contribution of .41 of one percent of GNI, and far below the agreed upon target of .7 percent (in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit). For more information see How much are developed countries contributing to developing countries??
Official development assistance (ODA) is slightly broader than development assistance to developing countries--the $9.7 billion mentioned above. It is difficult to find a good explanation of what exactly ODA is and what it counts. Hunger Notes provides two: What is official development assistance? (based on information from the United States Agency for International Development) and a fuller explanation, "Foreign aid: understanding data used to compare donors" (six page pdf file) by Larry Nowells, a researcher with the Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress. This article was originally done for Congress.
The World Food Program has been feeding people in Lesotho since 1965, yet the tiny mountain kingdom is still not much closer to achieving food self-sufficiency IRIN News November 6, 2009
Bags of food stored in Galkayo, Somalia. Part of the country is teetering on the brink of famine. Photo: Jehan Nga/New York Times
US delays Somalia aid, fearing it is feeding terrorists. Meanwhile, one in five Somali children waste away from malnutrition Jeffrey Gettleman New York Times October 2, 2009 See Hunger Notes special report on development assistance More Somalia stories
Winds of change in US food aid policy? IRIN March 5, 2009
Dispute stalls US food aid to North Korea Blaine Harden and Glen Kessler Washington Post December 9, 2008 FAO/WFP North Korea report
The United States spent $75 billion over the past year to finance worldwide intelligence operations (by contrast, funding for the State Department and foreign aid was $33 billion) Walter Pincus Washington Post September 17, 2009
US role as top arms supplier grows as it increases its share to more than two-thirds of all arms deals Thom Shanker New York Times September 6, 2009
US-Colombia military base agreement prompts questions in both countries Juan Forero and Mary Beth Sheridan Washington Post August 27, 2009 Alarm at US-Colombia troops plan BBC News August 11, 2009 Increased US military presence in Colombia could pose problems with neighbors Simon Romero New York Times July 23, 2009
US sends weapons to Somalia BBC News June 26, 2009
US drone strike kills 60 in Pakistan Pir Zubair Shah and Salman Masood New York Times June 23, 2009
Study says Pentagon's Africa Command needs to refine mission, citing fears that it will militarize US foreign policy in Africa Eric Schmitt New York Times March 25, 2009
Map: BBC
US finds new Afghan supply route BBC News February 20, 2009 How the U.S. lost a vital air base in Kyrgyzstan (opinion) Baktybek Abdrisaev Washington Post February 16, 2009 Kyrgyz closure of US base 'final.' Base serves as a vital supply route for US operations in Afghanistan BBC News February 6, 2009 New Afghan supply routes probed--Pakistan route through Kyber Pass increasingly under attack Martin Vennard BBC News December 31, 2008
These articles give a current, concrete, illustration of US foreign policy issues. First, the US is fighting a war in Afghanistan, and must have supply routes to do so--these are the key routes. Secondly, foreign aid plays a role in both countries--the Kyrgyz article mentions the competition between the United States and a newly stronger Russia. Kyrgyzstan was once part of the Soviet Union, before its breakup into individual states, of which Russia is the most powerful. This competition gives another reason for foreign aid, in addition to helping poor people (that may in fact not be high on the list of foreign aid priorities).
Joint Chiefs chairman urges limit on mission of military, strengthening of US civilian agencies responsible for diplomacy and overseas economic development Thom Shanker New York Times January 12, 2009
Haiti gets $1.2 billion debt
cancellation after long wait EURODAD July 3, 2009
Ecuador defaults on foreign debt it considers 'illegitimate' BBC News December 6, 2008
2008 Development Assistance Page Global Page Hunger Notes Home Page