IS AID BENEFITIAL OR A HINDRANCE?

                        

There are vast differences in standard of living and quality of life between western countries and third world, which has prompted the push to supply aid. However, to what extent is it true to say that supplying emergency(short term) aid or development(long term)aid to these countries through charitable organizations or a specific developed country is always the best way of giving them a helping hand ? The answer to this question is that there are some disadvantages as well as numerous advantages of getting international aid.

First of all, more economically developed countries’ providing aid to less economically developed countries is one of most important paramaters which influences  the worldwide economic equilibrium. In this sense, ıt can be said that international aid is to both donors’ and recepients’ benefit  / to both recipient countries’ and donor countries’ benefit. The aid given so that a poor country may develop is regarded as a good investment by the developed country due to the fact that supplying aid to an underdeveloped country gives credibility status to a donor country.Besides, international aid, when given in the form of loans, can earn interest. In terms of the recipient country, ıt is possible to say that international aid helps facilitate many developmental programs in developing countries. In addition to these, for example emergency aid in times of disaster saves lives and rebuilds livelihoods and housing; similarly,provision of medical training, medicines and equipment can improve public health.

On the other hand, providing aid to a poor country results in lots of negative effects on the economic, environmental, social and cultural, and even political structure of both the donor and the recipient country. Aid can increase the dependency of less economically developed countries on donor countries. Namely, sometimes aid is not a gift, but a loan and poor countries may struggle to repay. Aid given by the developed nations can give rise to their exploiting recipient countries’ natural resources and local culture. Yet,ıt should be remembered that receiving countries (recipients) can misuse international aid, too. As an example, aid may not reach the people who need it most. Corruption may lead to local politicians using aid for their own means or political gain.

Taking everything into consideration,whether or not international aid to the poor countries should be supplied andin what way it should be provided  are touchy subjects owing to the fact that supplying aid does not always play a positive role in the lives of peoples. Therefore, the process ofr providing aid should be carefully monitored.