Tsunami: Aid Use
Ian, from Astonished Head calls my attention to the following story. The press release from which some of it is derived is here.
SIFY News
Some 60 per cent of all announced international aid does not exist, global pressure group ActionAid said on Thursday, singling out the United States and France as the main culprits in “phantom” aid. A “classic example” of real versus phantom aid is money pledged for victims of last year’s Asian tsunami disaster, John Samuel, Asia director of ActionAid International, told a news conference. He cited Australia, which he said had so far only managed to give seven per cent of the money it had pledged. He also named France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States as among other countries who have not delivered on their tsunami promises.
“In 2003, total aid announced by developed countries was $65 billion of which $50 billion was (pledged) by the G7,” Samuel said. “How much money actually reached the receivers? Only $27 billion, or just 0.1 percent of the countries’ combined national income,” Samuel said, while releasing “RealAid”, a report on the status of global aid mechanisms. “For the United States and France, two of the world’s largest donors, almost 90 per cent of their contributions are phantom aid.”
The activist said figures quoted in the report were based on official data of aid given and aid received apart from field studies. These had been vetted by top experts.
“Over the last two years, most of the aid has been directed towards buying arms and ammunition,” Samuel said. “As we speak today, 30,000 children are dying of malnourishment and 800 million are going hungry. We demand accountability and transparency from the G8.” “Aid diversification for military purposes is being done by the donors, particularly the US, especially after 9/11,” he said.
The G8 countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and new entrant Russia — are due to hold a summit from July 6 to 8 in Scotland. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also been invited to attend.
In a recent decision, the group decided to write off total debts of 18 poor nations, a move which organisations like ActionAid say was due to their pressure tactics. Samuel said more than 3,00,000 people are expected to take part in a “white-band” protest in Edinburgh on July 2 as part of a “Make Poverty History” campaign.
You’ll note how aid for tsunami relief is conflated with foreign aid from 2003. In addition, the story is littered with “factoids” about the starvation and death, and the number of people who will show up at a planned protest.
Here’s a table, based on the numbers that ActionAid International uses in their press release. BTW, they don’t match other information, as you will see when you check out the cites.
|
COUNTRY |
PLEDGE (mil $) |
RECEIVED (mil $) |
CITES |
|
|
$857.0 |
$140.4 |
|
|
|
$643.3 |
$96.5 |
|
|
|
$464.6 |
$450.7 |
|
|
|
$738.9 |
$51.7 |
|
|
|
$550.5 |
$550.5 |
|
|
|
$308.8 |
$49.4 |
|
|
|
$341.1 |
$68.2 |
|
|
|
$175.7 |
$80.8 |
Look through the information at the cites. About half the pledged aid is dedicated ot reconstruction efforts over the next 3-5 years. Other portions are, in reality, loans and loan guarantees. What it all boils down to is that this group is moaning about not receiving money now, to be “spent” in five years. Kinda like giving your children their college fund when they enter ninth grade and expecting them to use it four years later for college. Yah, sher! You betcha!
And, of course, no where is it cited that the United States military spent over a quarter billion dollars through its support efforts in South Asia. $6 million per day for about 45 days.
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