Good Intentions, Not Enough Help
With natural calamities this week in Myanmar and China he debate turns to the effectiveness of foreign aid in disaster situations. Though the developed countries are quick to boast of their rapid response and the dollar amounts of their donations, aid too often does not reach those who need it most. Through bureaucracy, graft, or poor information about local conditions, aid sits on airport runways or is sold on black markets. Meanwhile, death tolls make ever more urgent headlines.
William Easterly, NYU Professor of Economics and former World Bank official, explains why foreign aid misses the mark. It’s a complicated scenario of insufficient experts on the ground, too high salaries in Geneva and New York, and widespread compassion fatigue.
