International Assistance: A Problem Posing as a Solution
Author(s)
Korten, David C.
Abstract
A common measure for assessing the aid performance of high-income countries is the total aid given as a proportion of GNP. The accepted target amount among international agencies is currently 0.7%, although in 1998 the actual average for OECD countries was only 0.36%. The prevailing assumption is that more is better. However, despite the total aid levels reaching $60 billion in 1988, as we enter the fourth official United Nations Development Decade we are confronted with several harsh realities: more people live in desperate poverty now than ever before; environmental destruction has reached crisis proportions; the number of economic and environmental refugees is increasing; and many southern economies are saddled with debilitating debts. Something is terribly wrong, and official assistance is not fixing it.
