global aid for development is a chimera

8/3/2019 Global Aid for Development is a Chimera

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Global Aid for Development is a chimera,

it brings no substantial change

(Against the topic)

In 1970, the worlds rich countries agreed to give 0.7% of their gross national income as

official international development aid, annually.

Since that time, billions have certainly been given each year, but rarely have the rich

nations actually met their promised target.

For example, the US is often the largest donor in dollar terms, but ranks amongst the lowest

in terms of meeting the stated 0.7% target.

Furthermore, aid has often come with a price of its own for the developing nations. Common

criticisms, for many years, of foreign aid, have included the following:

Aid is often wasted on conditions that the recipient must use overpriced goods andservices from donor countries

Most aid does not actually go to the poorest who would need it the most

Aid amounts are dwarfed by rich country protectionism that denies market access for

poor country products while rich nations use aid as a lever to open poor country

markets to their products

Large projects or massive grand strategies often fail to help the vulnerable; money can

often be embezzled away.


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Food Aid

With the level of technology and capabilities in the world today, one could assume that

solving world hunger should be easy. Unfortunately it is not a technical issue as much

as it is a political and economic issue. This section attempts to shed some light on food

aid and its impact on alleviating or exacerbating world hunger.

Food aid is hard to summarize succinctly due to many related issues, but in general it is

about providing food and related assistance to tackle hunger, either in emergency

situations, or to help with deeper, longer term hunger alleviation and achieve food

security (where people do not have to live in hunger or in fear of starvation).

Food Assistance Programs

(Also food-related transfers): any intervention to address hunger and under

nutrition (e.g., food stamps, WIC, food subsidies, food price stabilization, etc.).

The Major Players in the Food Aid Game

Food aid constituted over 20% of global aid flows in the 1960s, but is now less than 5%.

Yet, it is still important because of the prevalence of world hunger and the increase infood emergencies in the past decade. The decline of food aid, as well as the way in

which it is delivered and used, are therefore of importance.

As Barrett and Maxwell also summarized, food aid started off in the 1950s with the US

and together with Canada accounted for over 90% of global food aid until the 1970s

when the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) became a major player.

International food aid is largely driven by donors and international institutions (typicallyinfluenced by the interests of the donors).

In 1967, the Food Aid Convention (FAC) provided a set of policies for the donor

countries, and is monitored by the Consultative Sub-Committee on Surplus Disposal

(CSSD).


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The CSSDs primary purpose is to ensure that food aid does not affect commercial

imports and local production in recipient countries.

In effect, the CSSD ensures that food aid does not displacetrade. And so it is criticized

for serving the interests of donors, because when accepting food aid, recipients

commit to pay for imports of commercial food along with food aid as Frederic

Mousseau notes in a report titledFood Aid or Food Sovereignty? Ending World Hunger In

Our Time.

Types Of Food Aid

Mousseaus detailed report also summarizes 3 types of food aid:

Program Food Aid

Is a form of in-kind aid whereby food is grown in the donor country for

distribution or sale abroad. This is typically a government to government

transfer. Rather than being free food as such, recipient countries typically

purchase the food with money borrowed at lower than market interest rates.

Relief or Emergency Food Aid

This is typically for emergency situations, such in cases of war, natural disasters,

etc, where food is distributed for free. However, as Oakland Institute notes, a

number of countries facing some forms of chronic food insecurity have also

become permanent recipients of this form of aid.

Project Food Aid

This is food aid delivered as part of a specific project related to promoting

agricultural or economic development, nutrition and food security, such as foodfor work and school feeding programs.
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Program Food Aid, or in-kind food aid, makes up the majority of aid for the US.

Relief aid used to be a minor form of aid until the 1990s when it shifted to being the

dominant factor, signifying both the increase in emergencies, and the end of the Cold

War where food aid as a political tool (to aid the donor) seemed to be less important.

As with relief aid, project food aid is typically distributed by the World Food Programme

(WFP), Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and occasionally by government

institutions.

Military Aid

Introduction

Military aid can be controversial. Its stated aim is usually to help allies or poor countries

fight terrorism, counter-insurgencies or to help fight drug wars.

The aid may be in the form of training, or even giving credits for foreign militaries to

purchase weapons and equipment from the donor country.

It is argued that strengthening military relationships can strengthen relationships

between nations and military aid may be a way to achieve that. Where the two nations

are democracies, it is believed such relationships can be strengthened even further

when the militaries of the respective nations are fully behind the principles of

democracy.


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But military aid may even be given to opposition groups to fight nations. This could be

understandable if the opposition is a potential democratic force standing up against

authoritarian rule.

However, as was especially seen during the Cold War, democratic nations (or potentially

emerging democratic fledgling nations) often found themselves fighting foreign

supported undemocratic forces because of geopolitical goals of the superpowers who

tolerated or supported such regimes and dictatorships in order to achieve their own

geopolitical aims

US Military Aid

US military aid is quite large.Official data below from the US governments Census

Bureau, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, shows the following:
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Military aid in recent years has increased, mostly in line with the War on Terror in Iraq

and Afghanistan.

A few years ago, the US invested more in getting Iraq and Afghanistan forces trained

and increased military aid accordingly, hence the sharp rise.

Just a handful of countries, mostly in the Middle East, are recipients of military aid:

The source data shows allocation going back a few years, showing other previously

large recipients including Colombia (mostly fighting drugs and the FARC rebels, Russia,

Sudan and a few others.


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While large, US foreign economic aid is larger.

Note, both US foreign economic and military (even when combined) are less than 1% of

the nations total Gross National Income.

The USs own military budget is far higher at approximately $700 bn a year currently,

discussed further on this sites military spendingsection.

Foreign aid not just from the US but from most wealthy nations, is controversial for

it has often been counterproductive, or provided in an inefficient manner, which is

discussed further on this sites section onforeign aid.

During the Cold War, the US often supported anti-democratic regimes in regions such asCentral and South America, the Middle East, Asia and even parts of Africa. This was

often under the concern (real, faked, or misguided) that Soviet influence could take a

foothold in that area. This resulted infledgling democracies often finding themselves

fighting foreign-backed forceswhich they could often do little about.
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In other cases, the US funded opposition groups in order to undermine a Soviet

supported government. One such example is Afghanistan, which saw the USs support

for Islamic insurgency (including Osama Bin Laden) to muster local opposition to the

Soviet Union. It is believe this strategy helped contribute to the eventual Soviet collapse

as they over-extended themselves in Afghanistan, though the blowback to the US was

another consequence. TheMiddle EastandWar on Terrorsections go into these aspects

further.

In more recent times, research organizations such as the RAND corporation are finding

that if assistance is being provided to a non-democratic regime, it is only likely to be

successful if that regime istransitioning away from repression and towards democracy

Myth 10: More U.S. Aid Will Help the Hungry

MYTH: In helping to end world hunger, our primary responsibility as U.S. citizens is to

increase and improve our governments foreign aid.

OUR RESPONSE: Once we learned that hunger results from antidemocratic political and

economic structures that trap people in poverty, we realized that we couldnt end

hunger for other people. Genuine freedom can only be won by people for themselves.

This realization doesnt lessen our responsibility, but it does profoundly redefine its

nature. Our job isnt to intervene in other countries and set things right. Our

government isalreadyintervening in countries where the majority of people are forced

to go hungry. Our primary responsibility as U.S. citizens is to make certain our

governments policies are not making it harder for people to end hunger for themselves.

In light of the demonstrated generosity of many Americans, most of us would probably

be chagrined to learn that U.S. foreign aid is only 0.15 percent of our nations gross

national product thats less than half the percentage of GNP Germany provides, for

example, and less than one-fifth of that provided by the Netherlands.1Total U.S.

bilateral assistance dropped greatly during the first half of the 1990s, as it has for most

other wealthy nations.2From a high of $20.2 billion in 1985, it fell to $12.3 billion by

1994 and has remained low.3

For the worlds hungry, however, the problem isnt the stinginess of our aid. When our

levels of assistance last boomed, under Ronald Reagan in the mid-1980s, the emphasis
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was hardly on eliminating hunger. In 1985, Secretary of State George Shultz stated

flatly that our foreign assistance programs are vital to the achievement of our foreign

policy goals.4But Shultzs statement shouldnt surprise us. Every countrys foreign aid

is a tool of foreign policy. Whether that aid benefits the hungry is determined by the

motives and goals of that policy by how a government defines the national interest.

During the postwar decades of the Cold War, U.S. foreign assistance was largely defined

by a view of the world as divided into two opposing camps. That often meant arming

and propping up undemocratic and repressive governments in Iran, the Philippines, El

Salvador, Indonesia, and many other countries only because they were loyal U.S.

allies.

The U.S. government acted as if our vital interests were threatened by any experimentthat didnt mimic the U.S. economic model the free market and unlimited private

accumulation of productive assets. Any nation seeking to alter its economic ground

rules Nicaragua, for example was immediately perceived as having gone over to

the other camp and thus an enemy. Punishment was swift-usually including the

suspension of aid and the arming of opponents of the offending government.5

In the rather negative panorama of the Cold War, U.S. foreign assistance did

nevertheless have poverty alleviation as a goal, albeit not for the best of motives.

Driven by the fear that communism would defeat capitalism in the battle for the

hearts and minds of poor third world populations by offering them the possibility of

greater improvements in material well-being the United States followed an on-again-

off-again policy of funding basic needs.

In Central America, while propping up corrupt dictatorships with Economic Support

Funds (ESF) basically cash disbursements and keeping them in power with

generous military aid and training, the United States also pressed for and financed basic

poverty alleviation policies. The latter included very limited land reforms, marketing

boards to help small farmers sell their grain, basic infrastructure development, etc.

These reforms were seen as necessary complements to military aid to mollify the

populace and keep our friendly strongmen from being overthrown by the disgruntled

masses.6


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During the entire Cold War it often seemed as though the real goal of foreign aid was

making the world safe for U.S.-based corporations. Nevertheless, this goal was often

mixed up with Cold War strategic aims, making such a black-and-white analysis difficult.

Since the end of the Cold War, however, the more blatant economic aims of foreign

assistance have come to the forefront.

From defending freedom in the face of the communist threat, the goals of foreign aid

have more clearly emerged as the promotion of the free market and free trade-of the

sort we described in chapters 7 and 8. A 1997 newsletter of the U.S. Agency for

International Development (USAID), the government agency in charge of U.S. foreign

assistance, put it this way: The principal beneficiary of Americas foreign assistance

has always been the United States. . . . Foreign assistance programs have helped the

United States by creating major markets for agricultural goods, new markets forindustrial exports and hundreds of thousands of jobs for Americans.7The same report

argued forcefully that the amount of money spent on aid be upped significantly in order

to maintain U.S. leadership in the global arena.8

Defining our national interest as opening markets for free trade lines up our nations

might with our tax dollars and our countrys good name against the interests of the

hungry. As we have seen, a different kind of change profound, society-wide change in

control over food-producing resources is asine qua nonfor ending hunger. It is

impossible to be both against this kind of change and for the hungry.


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Aida lever to impose Structural Adjustment onThird World

Second, aid is used as a lever to impose structural adjustment packages on the third

world. Since the 1980s U.S. foreign assistance worldwide has been conditioned on the

adoption of structural adjustment packages designed by the World Bank and the

International Monetary Fund,11policies that we described in chapters 7 and 8.

Making a grant or loan conditional on some action being taken by the recipient is called

conditionality. Conditionality works by tranching economic assistance packages-that

is, dividing the total sum to be donated or loaned to a recipient country into a series of

smaller disbursements to be made over time, called tranches. Before each

disbursement is made, the recipient must make policy changes spelled out in the

covenants of the aid agreement that they must sign with USAID.12

Between 1982 and 1990 nine U.S. economic assistance packages provided to the Costa

Rican government contained a total of 357 covenants that made disbursement

conditional on more than twenty structural changes in the domestic economy. These

included eliminating a grain marketing board that assisted small farmers; slashing

support prices for locally grown corn, beans, and rice; allowing more imports from the

United States; easing regulations on foreign investment and capital flows; and

complying with specific clauses in similar agreements signed with the World Bank and

the IMF.13

Such conditionality works in a carrot-and-stick fashion. When the Costa Rican congress

balked at approving an outrageous new law demanded by the United States that would

allow aid to bypass the government and go directly to the private sector, USAIDsuspended a $23 million disbursement.14Ironically, this came at the very moment at

which the Costa Rican Central Bank had exhausted the foreign exchange reserves

needed for the daily operation of the economy. An internal USAID memo written several

months before the incident occurred-which we obtained access to years later-showed

just how cynical the United States can be. A top USAID administrator predicted the

month in which the reserves would run dry and recommended timing a key


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disbursement to take advantage of that moment as leverage to guarantee that the

desired law would be passed.15

It was precisely the replication of changes like this-and of structural adjustment-

throughout the third world that produced rising inequalities in the 1980s and 1990s. For

most of the third world the 1980s were a lost decade, during which living standards of

impoverished majorities fell to pre-1960s levels. Not surprisingly, this became a period

of widespread economic, social, and ecological crisis. Millions of the rural and urban

poor were cut out from opportunities for progress. Credit, extension, subsidies, and

technical education all fell by the wayside as budgets were slashed, and the lifting of

tariffs flooded local economies with imported foodstuffs often placed on the world

market at prices below local costs of production. As a consequence, poor farmers were

caught in a squeeze between the high price of chemicals and other farm inputs and low

crop prices, often losing their lands and moving to cities.16

How aid could benefit the hungry

Whether U.S. foreign aid can benefit the hungry depends on how our government

defines our national interest. Thus, a first step in putting ourselves on the side of the

hungry is to work tochange our governments definition of our national interest. Less

control-less striving to make the world conform to the U.S. model and respond to U.S.

fears-would actually mean more security for all.After years of studying our foreign aid program, we have learned that foreign aid is only

as good as the recipient government.Foreign aid only reinforces the status quo.It

cannot transform an antidemocratic process working against the majority into a

participatory government shaped in its interests. Where the recipient government

answers only to a narrow economic elite or foreign corporations, our aid not only fails to

reach the hungry, it girds the very forces working against them.

We do not suggest that we simply abolish foreign aid. The accumulated debt owed to

the third world by Northern countries for centuries of unbridled profit taking through

conquest, colonialism, mineral and other natural resource extraction, unequal trade,

labor exploitation, and other forms of corporate pillage is too great to say nothing

should be sent back.70

The problem ishowto give something back, since as weve seen in this chapter, even

the best-intentioned humanitarian aid can have negative consequences if the recipient

government is based on elite local and foreign interests.


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An immediate step that we as citizens can take is to tell our representatives that the

best use for our money is not supporting the status quo but alleviating the largest

economic barrier to true development in the third world-its foreign debt.

The combined debt of third world countries reached almost $2 trillion in 1996.71The

bulk was accumulated largely as a result of Northern banks-flush with the petrodollars

deposited with them by oil-producing countries in the 1970s-needing to place an

unprecedented volume of loans. Once developed countries wereborrowed out, the

banks turned to the third world, like snake-oil salesmen, selling huge loans for

megaprojects that many knew would never pan out. The structural adjustment

programs of the 1980s and 1990s have been designed in part to induce the third world

to pay off that debt; the IMF and World Bank acting out the role of debt collectors for

private banks. In various refinancing agreements, the debt owed to private banks hasbeen assumed by agencies like the IMF, who are ultimately funded by taxpayers, and to

whom much of the debt is now owed.72

That debt-for which the lenders bear as much or more responsibility than the borrowers,

is now stifling economic development and social services throughout the third world.

Repayments from Zambia to the IMF between 1991 and 1993 were $335 million,

compared to $37 million spent on primary education. In Honduras, annual debt

payments exceed the amount spent on health and education combined.73

In fact, annual interest payments alone by all third world countries amounted to $81

and $85 billion in 1994 and 1995, respectively, roughly equal to the $80 and $90 billion

they received in total direct foreign investment and easily outstripping the $48 and $64

billion they received in total development assistance from Northern countries. Total

debt payments (principal plus interest) were $190 and $213 billion in the same years,

greater than the sum of investment plus assistance.74

Our institute and two hundred other organizations have joined together in the 50 Years

is Enough Campaign against the IMF and the World Bank. These two institutions, which

celebrated their fiftieth anniversaries in 1994, play key roles in policing the third worldsdebt. The campaign calls for debt relief for third world countries. Aid dollars could be

made into something positive and noninterventionist if they were spent on debt relief-as

long as they were not tied to structural adjustment-like conditions, which are so onerous

for the poorer majorities.


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One could argue that such unconditional debt relief might not end up benefiting the

hungry, either-because most third world governments do not truly represent their poor

majorities. This is a legitimate concern-yet, in the end, if we have learned anything, it is

that real change starts with people themselves. Our job is to not block that change

through conditional aid, or equally conditioned debt relief, that mandates the

strengthening of a status quo in which the rich get more powerful and the poor more

marginalized. If we allow our government and major lending institutions to get a foot in

the door by agreeing that debt relief be conditioned-with our conditions, of course-we

will most likely see the conditions distorted to meet ends other than those we support,

just as has happened with originally well-intentioned foreign aid.

Rather, we must make our government and corporations stop blocking change-that is

perhaps the most important step in making real change possible in third worldcountries. As individuals, and through the organizations we belong to, we can also

support the movements of local people to bring about change on their own terms. We

should not think or act as though we know better than they-or that we can or should tell

them what to do or how to do it.

Understanding the nature of U.S. foreign aid-that it does not, and in most countries,

cannot, help the hungry-does not lead necessarily to a theres-nothing-I-can-do dead

end. It is actually the first step in perceiving the many and varied actions open to all

who are determined to end world hunger. In our concluding essay, and in the other

publications of our institute, we offer suggestions as to how to seize the opportunities

all around us.


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International response to HurricaneKatrina

According to the European Commission, one week after the disaster, on September 4, 2005,

the United States officially asked theEuropean Unionfor emergency help, asking for

blankets, emergency medical kits, water and 500,000 food rations for victims. Help

proposed by EU member states was coordinated through their crisis center. The British

presidency of the EU functioned as contact with the USA.

Other countries not on this list also offered aid, but the State Department mentioned that

they (the State Department) had not been asked. Later, the US State Department said all

offers were being examined.

Katrina A: The Most Basic Dilemma

On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the Gulf Coast of the

United States as a Category 4 hurricane. Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast area, displacing

over one million people who made their homes there. Five weeks after the Hurricane over

half a million people were still in dire need of housing. Among the people most affected were

the residents of New Orleans, a city unique to the Gulf Coast and the United States as a

whole.

The population of New Orleans prior to its devastation by Hurricane Katrina wasapproximately 1.2 million residents. These people made their homes in a rather unusually

built city. Some parts of New Orleans sit as low as eleven meters below sea level, with only

the French Quarter of New Orleans sitting reasonably equal with sea level. The city has

nevertheless endured for nearly three hundred years, maintained by a system of levees that

work together to pump water out of the city. New Orleans is a unique American city shaped

by its African, Cajun, and Creole influences. Such regions of the city as the French Quarter,
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the Garden District, and nearby suburbs the Faubourgs represent exquisite cultural

treasures which cannot be found elsewhere in America.

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina then presents, at its most basic, a question of

whether such a large-scale reconstruction as that of New Orleans ought to take place. The

federal government declared not long after the Katrinas impact that New Orleans must be

rebuilt. It retains too much cultural and regional identity to be considered killed by

Hurricane Katrina. The devastation of the city of New Orleans presents, however, an

unanticipated level, depth, and range of environmental challenge in its rebuilding.

Not only is the cultural devastation to New Orleans caused by Katrina inconceivable,

but so is the economic devastation to the city of New Orleans. Estimates for insurance

payments for damage caused by Katrina range from $9 billion to $25 billion. Federal disaster

declarations blanket 90,000 square miles, an area rivaling the size of the United Kingdom.

Hurricane Katrina is one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever impact the United

States of America. If New Orleans is to be rebuilt, its cultural identity cannot be the top

priority in mind. New Orleans has to renew its economic capabilities, and these must be a

focus in any rebuilding that is undertaken.

Should New Orleans be rebuilt? Would federal government funds be better spent

rebuilding housing and buildings elsewhere, where there is not as much environmental risk?

The people of New Orleans want to move back now. Should the federal government assume

the responsibility of rebuilding New Orleans as it was before Katrinas impact? Or is it too big

of a risk to let people go back? Should the government be exploring other living options for

the people? What other options are there for the hurricane victims other than to return to

their homes?

Katrina B: The Environmental Dilemma

In the weeks after Katrina hit, Senate Homeland Security and Government AffairsCommittee acting director David Paulison noted that of all the challenges presented by

Katrina, the most pressing is that of housing. Hurricane Katrina destroyed 140,000 housing

units in New Orleans. Paulison emphasized that the Federal Department of Urban Housing

and Development wants to move the people displaced from these 140,000 housing units

back as quickly as possible. These people may or may not be moved back to Louisiana.


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The Department is seeking to place people in decent housing. Paulison does not

specify as to whether the promise to place people in decent housing means aesthetically

decent housing in the present or physically decent housing in the future. The Department

has also promised to move displaced people to somewhere decent as quickly as possible.

These goals present a conflict of interest. Should the federal government compromise its

regulation of the quality of the housing rebuilt for the sake of the speed of rebuilding?

Hurricane Katrina victim Deborah Lundy is waiting for the federal government to

deliver on its promise of decent housing. Although her home sustained real bad structural

damage, her family of four is currently living in the only two remaining rooms in her house,

since they have nowhere to go. Deborah, her husband, and her sixteen-year-old daughter

are also caring for Deborahs disabled sister, who lost her house during the hurricane.

Deborah is hoping that her family will get one of the trailers promised to displaced families

by local authorities. She cannot leave her home, but it harbors many environmental hazards

which must be somehow neutralized. How should the government help Deborah and her

family? Should they be given immediate housing, leaving the environmental dangers to be

dealt with later? Or should the government take longer to provide the housing, but take care

of the environmental problems with Deborahs house in the present?

Estimates say that immediately after Katrina devastated New Orleans, eighty percent

of the city was underwater. Since that time, housing in New Orleans has become a

mammoth problem. Katrina survivors need housing. They want to come back to New

Orleans, to their home. New Orleans is devastatingly polluted with respect to soil, air, and

especially water. Where should the government dispose of the contaminated water in New

Orleans? Should they dump it in the Gulf of Mexico? This contaminated water must be

taken care of, whether or not people move to New Orleans. It will significantly affect

surrounding ecosystems in the long-run. Think of the place that Deborahs family will be call

home a decade from now. People like Deborah need housing now, but they have lives that

will continue into the future and be dependent upon the housing that is provided in the near

future after Katrinas devastation of New Orleans.

Oil pollution makes up a major percentage of overall pollution in New Orleans.

Approximately six and a half million gallons of crude oil were spilled during the hurricane.

That figure does not include petrol and oil emitted by the approximately 250,000 cars

submerged during the storm. This oil needs to be cleaned up. Such a point is not in

contention. The point of debate comes from how the cleaning up of that oil should be

treated.


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It must also be remembered that New Orleans was polluted by a range of common

and uncommon pollutants. Obviously the city was polluted by industrial materials from

nearby factories. Not so obviously was the city polluted by household chemicals such as

bleach or paint thinner, which when added to the citys water in large amounts can cause

unprecedented environmental challenges.

At this point, some goals in the aftermath of Katrina are clear. New Orleans must be

cleaned up. Housing must be made for its inhabitants as quick as possible. In carrying the

environmental clean-up as quickly as possible, the federal government must consider

whether to waive environmental laws. Temporarily repealing such environmental laws could

have the positive effects of boosting the local and national economy, as well as eliminating

obstacles which delay the progress of making New Orleans fit for inhabitation. Such repeals

could also negatively affect New Orleans. It could impact the health of the people who move

back quickly. Yet waiting too long for New Orleans to be rebuilt could hurt the business

prospects of the city, which would also make the city uninhabitable in a way.

The United States federal government has a responsibility to the people of New

Orleans to help them find housing. The people of New Orleans, like Deborah Lundys family,

would like to go back to their city, to their home. Those people would also like to not become

sick as a result of moving back. Should the federal governmental allow one of its agencies to

oversee the repealing of environmental standards in an effort to speed the rebuilding of New

Orleans? How could such an act affect the quality of the rebuilding of New Orleans?

Is it necessary for us to waive the environmental laws to jump start the economy or is

the environment more important in the long run?

Senate Bill 1711, a proposal being considered in the Senate at the time of the

creation of this case study text, is an example of such legislation which would allow

environmental standards to be repealed in order to speed the process of placing Katrina

survivors back in New Orleans and other Katrina-affected areas.

Senate Bill 1771 would allow that beginning on August 26, 2005, the Environmental

Protection Agency has the power to grant a wavier on environmental laws and standards for

120 days. Beyond such a period of time the EPA may extend the waiver to 18 months. The

EPA may waive state and federal environmental laws anywhere in the country. The waivers


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are not limited simply to the Gulf states affected by Katrina. The specific wording of the law

requires only that legal waiver must (1) be in the public interest, and (2) take into

consideration public health and the environment.

The laws which may be waived by the EPA are not limited to only environmentallaws. The EPA may waive any clean air, clean water, hazardous waste, or other public health

law if it is related to Katrina.

Legal waivers enacted by the EPA may cause several severe environmental

problems. The EPAs legal waivers could lead to allowing unlimited levels of toxic industrial

chemicals, human excrement, heavy metals or other toxins in drinking water. The EPA could

waive requirements to test that water. The EPA could also waive standards for soil or air in

contaminated communities.

The legal waivers could affect not only the maintenance of environmental standards

in Katrina-affected areas, but also the disposal of debris in cleaning up the environment.

Legal waivers could allow for the burning of huge quantities of debris (chemicals, plastics,

destroyed cars, etc.) which would create highly toxic smoke. The EPA can both create

environmental dangers and choose not to regulate them.

During and after the cleaning of New Orleanss environment, the EPA may also create legal

waivers so that businesses may use the dirtiest coal, oil, or gasoline in the country, so longas it is to address fuel supply or cost issues. The EPA may also allow oil refineries, power

plants, chemical facilities, and other industries to increase air and water pollution to again

address fuel supply or cost issues.

Pledges and donations from countries

Below is a list of countries who offered aid. Some of these efforts were not formally accepted

by the U.S. government (see "Actual Funds Used"below).

Afghanistan

Donated $100,000 to the hurricane victims.
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Albania

Donated $308,000.

Argentina

Made offers of help and assistance. Argentina also dispatched an elite team of bilingual

mental health professionals.

Australia

A$10 million (approximately US$7.5 million), and a team of 1,000 emergency response

officers immediately. Donated A$20 million toAmerican Red Cross.

Austria

140 specialists of the AFDRU were put on stand-by. Their focus was to have been on

providing clean water with portable water-treatment plants. Within the EU Emergency

Assistance for Katrina, Austria set up a communication network using IT and communication

equipment for assistance/support, provided 10 sets petrol driven dirty water pumps, 500

pieces tarps/plastic sheeting and 300 camp beds.[8]

The Bahamas

Pledged $50,000.

Bahrain

Donated $5 million.

Belgium

Offered 3 Medical teams of 31 personnel, logistic team of 10 personnel, coordination

team of 4 personnel, civil engineering team of 10 personnel, diving team, and also

balloon-lamps, low and high capacity pumps and small generators.[8]

Brunei

Donated $1 million.
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Cambodia

The king donated $20,000 to match the $20,000 Cambodian government donation.

Canada

September 5, 35 military divers were poised to depart by air Sunday from Halifax and

Esquimalt, B.C., for the New Orleans area. September 4, On the request from

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Canada sent thousands of beds,

blankets, surgical gloves and dressings and other medical supplies. On September 2

the Government of Canada announced it was sending three warshipsalong with

a Coast Guard vessel, and three Sea King helicopters to the area. Over 1,000

personnel are involved in the operation, including engineers and navy divers. TheCanadian Heavy Urban Search and Rescue out of Vancouver was in Louisiana from

September 1, due to security they started their mission on Sept 3. Ontario

Hydro, Hydro-Qubec, and Manitoba Hydro, along with other electrical utilities, had

crews set to go to the affected areas. On September 2 Air Canadaparticipated along

with U.S. member airlines of the Air Transport Association, in a voluntary airline

industry initiative to support rescue and relief operations. Money donations although

where very high, the province of Alberta alone threw in 5 million dollars. Although it

is hard to put an exact number on Canadian cash donations because of some

Canadians donating directly to the American agencies, Canada is widely believed to

be the highest international donor nation, and was the only country in the world to

supply direct military assistance in addition to civilian donations and supplies as the

US Government declined direct military support from all other nations.

People's Republic of China

On September 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will offer $5 million along

with emergency supplies, including 1,000 tents, 600 generators, bed sheets,

immediately for disaster relief. China also offered to send medical care and rescue

workers if they were needed.[13]This aid package consisting of 104 tons of supplies

later arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas.[14] A chartered plane carrying the supplies

arrived on September 7.
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Republic of China (Taiwan)

Pledged more than$3 million to the relief effort, plus supplies.

Colombia

Made offers of help and assistance.

Cuba

One of the first countries to offer aid, Cuba offered to send 1,586 doctors and 26 tons

of medicine. This aid was rejected by the State Department. Also, before the 2006

World Baseball Classic, Cuba said they would donate their share of the winnings to

Katrina victims to ensure the United States embargo against Cubawas not violated.

However, after the tournament, the U.S. government refused to allow the donation.

Cyprus

Offered $50,000.

Czech Republic

Offered rescue teams, field hospital and pumps and water processing equipment.

Denmark

Offered water purification units.

EgyptSent 2 C-130 planes loaded with blankets, medical equipment, and canned food.
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Finland

The Finn Rescue Forcethe group consists of 30 firemen was offered by the FinnishGovernment but refused. The Finnish Red Cross sent three Red Cross logistics

experts.

$100,000 was given by the Finnish government to be distributed by U.S. authorities.

A Finnish cruise ship, Finnjet, operated by Silja Lines, was sent to Baton Rouge for

use by the LSU Department of Medicine. 9,000 sheets, 1,000 pillowcases, 200 small

tarps, 200 first aid kits, 120 cooler cases and 3,500 thermo sheets were sent to Little

Rock for distribution in Louisiana. Nokia donated $1 million to the U.S. Red Cross and

matched employee contributions at 100 percent. Mobile phones were donated to

shelters in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.

Additionally Finland offered 300 tents, a water purification unit, sterile gloves, bed

sheets, pillow covers, tarps and first aid kits.

France

Concrete help was refused by the US government initially, however on September

2, Condoleezza Rice said that the US authorities would assess the situation and

contact French authorities accordingly. On September 4, US authorities formally

requested French assistance. France offered disaster relief stocks prepositioned

in Martinique (600 tents, around 1000 beds, 60 electrogenic groups, 3 pumps, 3

water purification stations, 1000 folding jerricanes and other material). A 35-person

team of the Scurit civile (Civil defence) from Guadeloupe and Martinique were

made ready, and a 60-man "catastrophe intervention" aeromobile detachment wereprepared to be ferried from mainland in a short time. The Ministry of Defence offered

2 planes already in the zone and 6 more from mainland France, and two ships of the

French Navy (probably the BATRAL Francis Garnieror Champlain, and the

frigate Ventse) and a 20-person team of emergency medical specialists. The non-

governmental organisation Tlcoms sans frontires and the company Volia
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environnementoffered aid in communications and water management, respectively.

On September 7, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs stated that anAirbus Belugafrom

Toulouse with 12,7 tonnes of supplies flew toMobile, Alabama, after a brief stop in

the UK to load more food.[20] TwoCasa airplanes from Martinique landed in Little Rock,

Arkansas, ferrying tents, covers and 1000 rations of food for 24 hours.[8][16][21]

Germany

Two German Army Airbus planes landed in Florida with about 25 tonnes of food

rations to be transported to the disaster area. Further planes were prepared.

Germany offered airlifting, vaccination, water purification, medical supplies including

German air force hospital planes, emergency electrical power and pumping services.

The aid was ready to go on German air force and chartered planes. A team of

specialists fromTHW (German federal agency for technical relief) were planning

technical measures and logistics in close contact with local authorities. A team of 89

flood fighting specialists and 5 medical personnel were dispatched from Ramstein Air

Base to Louisiana by the United States Air Force. They brought 15 high performance

pumps (10 pumps with a capacity of 15,000 litres per minute and 5 pumps with a

capacity of 5,000 litres per minute) and 28 vehicles.[22] On Saturday, September 10 at

4:30 p.m., theTHW started the first 15,000 litre pump at pumping-station No. 19.

Three other 15,000 litres pumps followed. The drainage of New Orleans would have

taken much more time if these pumps and the THW specialists had not beenprovided.[23]

The Minister-President of the federal state ofRhineland-Palatinate addressed a letter

to the commanders of the American forces stationed in his state offering financial

support to those affected by the flooding.

Another German Air Force cargo plane carrying several thousand military rations

(MRE) was denied entry into US airspace since, according to US authorities, they

were not certified BSE-free. This was disputed by German authorities, pointing out

that they were BSE-free according to NATO rules, that US soldiers would eat them

regularly during joint operations (e.g. Afghanistan) and that these meals fully

complied to UN rules.

Iceland

Offered $500,000.
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India

India offered to contribute $5 million to the United States Red Cross for relief and

rehabilitation of the victims. They also offered to donate medicines and large water

purification systems for use in households and small communities in the stricken

areas, where potable water was a key concern.[26] India sent tarps, blankets and

hygiene kits. An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft delivered 25 tonnes of relief supplies

for the Hurricane Katrina victims at the Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas on

September 13, 2005.

Indonesia

Offered to send 45 doctors and 155 other medical staffers and 10,000 blankets to

help survivors.

Iran

Offered to send humanitarian aid and 20 million barrels (3,200,000 m3) of crude oil.

Iraq

Pledged $1 million to the Red Cross via theRed Crescent.

Republic of Ireland

Offered to send 30 members of the Irish Defence Forces. The Irish army would have

supplied thousands of ready meals, tents, blankets, water purification services and

medical aid, including first aid kits, crutches and wheelchairs. The group would have

included about ten experts in stress debriefing. Six of the troops would have

operated two water purification plants. The Irish Government also announced it is to

provide initial funding ofEUR1.2 million for the victims.
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Israel

Offered field hospitals and hundreds of doctors, nurses, technicians and other experts

in trauma, natural disasters and public health.[29]

An Israeli airlift arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas with an eighty-ton shipment of

humanitarian aid, including baby food, diapers, water, ready-to-eat meals, clothes,

tents, blankets, mattresses, stretchers, first aid kits, wheelchairs, and other medical

supplies.

The Magen David Adom began "United Brotherhood Operation," which sent a plane-

load of supplies and financial assistance.

IsraAid sent a delegation of medical personnel, psychologists, and experienced

search-and-rescue divers. The 18-member team which included physicians, mental

health professionals, trauma specialists, logistics experts and a special unit of Israeli

police divers arrived in St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish on Sept. 10 and

spent a week and a half assisting fire department search-and-rescue squads and

sitting in on daily planning meetings that included local leadership and a complement

ofFederal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), police, military and fire

representativesmedical team.[30]

Five universities in Israel welcomed displaced American students from the affected

areas and invited both undergraduate and graduate students to continue their

studies in Israel.[31] In particular, medical students unable to attend theTulane

University in New Orleans can attendTel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine.

Japan Tsunami Aid and Relief

When the 9.0 earthquake first hit Japan, its highly advanced disaster-alert systems

minimized the impact of what in most other countries would have been a catastrophic

event, leaving about 100 people dead.
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But when the 10-metre high tsunami engulfed the islands shortly after, the disaster

swiftly became too great for even the world's third most industrialized nation to cope

with alone.

Since last Friday, the government of Japan reports that close to 3,200 people in 12

prefectures have died, though less conservative estimates say the number is at least

double that, with a projected death toll of 10,000 in the coming days. National media

reports claim that over 15,000 people are missing in the affected areas.

In Fukushima alone, 1,200 people are unaccounted for, a number that is likely to rise

drastically within the week. Over 10,000 people are stranded in Iwate and 1,000 more in

Miyagi and Fukushima. Minami Sannriku town in Miyagi prefecture and Otsuchi town in

Iwate prefectures are currently the worst affected areas with an estimated 20,000people nearly half the population still out of contact as of Tuesday.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA)

dispatched its Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to Tokyo Monday,

at the behest of the Japanese government, to coordinate foreign aid flows, an onslaught

of international humanitarian assistance and local relief efforts.

'The team is helping the Japanese authorities with information management and

international offers of assistance,' Martin Nesirky, the spokesperson for the U.N.

secretary-general, told reporters Tuesday, 'and it plans to send a reconnaissance

mission to the prefectures of Fukushima and Miyagi tomorrow.'

This particular UNDAC mission is playing a more limited role than its predecessors, since

Japanese authorities are primed to direct the bulk of search and rescue efforts in their

own capacity. UNDAC's role is rather to provide a few select services and defer to the

authority of the Japanese government in major decision-making.

'UNDAC has been providing advice on incoming international relief goods and services,

with the view to limiting unsolicited contributions,' Stephanie Bunker, spokesperson and

public information officer of OCHA in New York, told IPS.


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'This is actually a very important task because as we've seen in many disasters,

countries have been inundated with unsolicited contributions. People mean well, but an

overflow of uncoordinated aid is not necessarily a good thing,' she added.

The seven-member disaster response team includes specialists from France, Britain,

Sweden, India, the Republic of Korea and Japan. They have set up an Onsite Operations

and Coordination Centre and will be disseminating timely information to the

international community in the coming days.

According to OCHA's most recent situation report, nearly 420,000 people have been

evacuated from the earthquake- and tsunami-hit areas, of which nearly half are from

Miyagi alone and the rest in varying degrees from Fukushima, Iwate, Ibaraki, Tochibi

and Aomori.

'At this point we do not have a sound estimate of the total costs incurred by the

disaster,' Bunker told IPS. 'It is still much too early to come up with a meaningful

number.'

However, OCHA's preliminary research shows that nearly 4,000 buildings in the

northeastern region of Tohuku have been totally destroyed, while a further 55,000 have

been severely damaged by the earthquake, tsunami or fires. The Japanese National

Police Authority reports that the damage done to roads and bridges has virtually

paralysed huge swathes of the national transport system.

Nearly 850,000 households formerly powered by Tokyo Electric Power Company and

Tohuku Electric Power Company are currently existing without access to water, gas and

electricity, a crisis that extends way beyond the four most affected prefectures. Lack of

access to food and water is a crisis that is only worsening by the hour.

The Japanese Red Cross Society has begun offering medical and psychosocial care to

the scores of survivors and evacuees.

'I have never seen anything as bad as this before. It defies belief,' said Tadateru Kono,

president of the Japanese Red Cross Society and the IFRC following his visit to Iwate

prefecture. According to IFRC's latest press release, 430,000 evacuees are currently


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being housed in fewer than 2,500 makeshift evacuation centres in schools and other

public buildings.

'Red Cross medical teams are reporting many cases of people arriving at hospitals

suffering from hypothermia and at risk of pneumonia. Many people are suffering the

effects of having swallowed contaminated water during the tsunami,' the press release

added.

Despite accepting specialised assistance from certain aid agencies, Japan is displaying

extraordinary resilience and efficiency in the face of a debilitating disaster.

Over 100,000 troops along with 95,000 firefighters and 920 police units are working

ceaselessly to evacuate at-risk citizens, locate missing persons and deliver relief items

as fast as humanly possible.

According to OCHA ground reports, the National Police Agency (NPA) and Japan Self-

Defence Forces have already rescued more than 2,200 people. In addition, the Japan

Coast Guard, and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency have rescued nearly 3,000

people, including about 970 affected people stranded in isolated villages.

Furthermore, the NPA added that 121 roads and 28 bridges have already been repaired,paving the way for more effective rescue and relief operations.

AID GIVEN TO JAPAN AFTER THE EARTQUAKE

Tokyo, Japan, March 14, 2011 Rescue teams from over 10 countries, on Monday (March 14,

2011), have started their action to search for survivors in the cities in Japan which hit by

theearthquake and tsunami.
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More than 70 countries have offered aid to Japan. These countries not only Japanese allies

like the United States (U.S.) but also the country which has been frequently involved in

conflicts with Japan, such as China. Even, Kandahar city from Afghanistan offers assistance

to Japanese residents.

We have offered to the Japanese government whatever assistance we can provide. U.S. is

ready to stand with Japan when the country recover and rebuild, said White House

spokesman Jay Carney.

Carney added two U.S. rescue teams consist of 144 people and 12 dogs have done their

action early on Monday (March 14, 2011) to search for survivors under ruins of destroyed

buildings due to an earthquake measuring 9 on the Moment magnitude scale and followed

with the tsunami on Friday (March 11, 2011).

Rescue team which consists of 15 people from China have also been in action in the areas

most severely affected byearthquake after they arrived in Tokyo on Sunday (March 13,

2011).

China which has been often involved in conflict with Japan, especially in relation to revenge

from the Japanese atrocities against Chinese citizens during World War II directly send their

sympathy to the earthquake incident in Japan.

I want to use this opportunity to say that the deepest condolence for the people of Japan for

the loss they experience, said Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.

The South Korean government said South Korean rescue team consists of 103 people have

left to Japan on Monday (March 14, 2011) by using three C-130 aircrafts. Advance team

consists of five rescue workers and two tracker dogs had been in Japan to help earthquake

victims since Saturday (March 12, 2011).

Japan Tsunami Relief from India: AI carries 25 tones of

of relief material

Air India carried nearly 25 tonnes of relief material to natural calamity struck Japan, which

was devastated by 9 Richter scale earth quake followed by a giant Tsunami, including 20000

blankets as the temperature in the country has fallen to nearly freezing point.

Not only it carried help to Japan but also brought back home all the Indians struck in misery

over there. As per report of the sources, nearly 337 people were brought back to India
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today by AI307 flight. Todays count increased the total number of Indians rescued from

Japan to 1600.

Earlier yesterday, nearly 385 passengers were carried home from Japans Naritas airport.

Air India has deployed a Boeing 747-400 Jumbo aircraft for daily operations to bring the

Indians who want to come back till March 21 as the Boeing has more seats that 777-300

aircraft, which has been deployed.

Expressing concern over the leakage of radiations from Fukushima Nuclear plant, the Indian

government on Thursday advised its nationals to avoid not so important travel toJapan and

even those who were living in Tokyo to consider moving away.

To help the Indian nationals in Japan, Indian Embassy in Japan headed by Alok Prasad has

set up a 24 hour hotline for the people. It is also in touch with the Indian peopleout there in

Japan and advising them to take precautions.

Crisis in Japan has increased mainly due to its struggle to prevent the melt down at some ofits nuclear installations.

Contributions by India in Global Aid forSustainable Development

The Indian Express reported that India might not accept aid from the United Kingdom

after April 2011. India has been the largest single recipient of British aid, receiving

more than 800m (about $1.25b) since 2008.This announcement is perhaps

symbolic of the fine line that India is walking between being a developed and

developing country. It is the eleventh largest economy in the world, growing 8-9%
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annually. But it is also home to one-third of the worlds poorthere are more poor

people in India than in all of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Nonetheless, over the past decade, India has quietly transitioned to a donor country,

emerging on the world stage as a significant provider of development assistance. In the

mid-1980s, India was the worlds largest recipientof foreign aid. Today foreign aid isless than 0.3% of GDP. Seven years ago India announced that it would only accept

bilateral development assistance from five countries (Germany, Japan, Russia, the UK,

and the United States) in addition to the EU. Now it appears that the list is dwindling.

India also declined international assistance after both the 2004 tsunami and the 2005

earthquake in Kashmir.

Although there are no consolidated figures on the total foreign assistance that India

provides, the estimates are rising. India allocated approximately $547 million to

aid-related activities in 2008. It is now the fifth largest donor to Afghanistan (with

commitments over $1 billion since 2001) and is increasingly seeking out new recipients

Indias aid to Africa has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 22% over the past

ten years. Indias aid programs are increasingly including countries outside

theimmediate neighborhood of Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Nepal.

These changes seem to reflect fresh attention to aid as an instrument of foreign policy.

Indias flagship aid initiative has been the Indian Technical and Economic

Cooperation (ITEC), which provides training and education to scholars and leaders

from developing countries. There are more than 40,000 alumni of the ITEC program

around the world; the hope is they have a friendly disposition to India that will be

reflected in policies and bilateral relationships. However, India is no longer containing

itself to soft power influences. Driven by competition with China and its ownunprecedented growth, India has begun to focus on not only diplomatic influence but

also on oil reserves and markets for goods, especially in Africa. During the April 2008

India-Africa Forum Summit, India pledged $500 million in concessional credit

facilities to eight resource rich West-African nations.

Some observers argue that India would do best not to completely abandon its soft

power approach. Much of Indias success in its relations with the developing world

has been built through its traditional aid program and a shared colonial history with

countries in Africa and elsewhere. India should think twice before sacrificing this

goodwill for mineral or other resources.More problematically, like China, India lacks an official definition of what counts

as development assistance. No official records of aid disbursements are kept, either

by the Ministry of External Affairs or the Ministry of Finance. Aid flows through various

channels and various agencies in an ad hoc manner. And India has yet to join the

OECDs Development Assistance Committee (DAC), which would require better record

keeping and compliance with international standard definitions. Indias foreign aid
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/09/08/why-does-india-give-and-receive-aid/http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/09/08/why-does-india-give-and-receive-aid/http://itec.nic.in/about.htmhttp://itec.nic.in/about.htmhttp://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_eng/Content?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/ari10-2010http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_eng/Content?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/ari10-2010http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12441474461Case_of_India.pdfhttp://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12441474461Case_of_India.pdfhttp://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/09/08/why-does-india-give-and-receive-aid/http://itec.nic.in/about.htmhttp://itec.nic.in/about.htmhttp://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_eng/Content?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/ari10-2010http://www.realinstitutoelcano.org/wps/portal/rielcano_eng/Content?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/elcano/elcano_in/zonas_in/ari10-2010http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1410508http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12441474461Case_of_India.pdfhttp://www.idrc.ca/uploads/user-S/12441474461Case_of_India.pdf


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program will likely be more successful if it engages with other donors, provides clear

and transparent records of its activities, and participates as a full-fledged member of

the global aid system, including joining the OECD-DAC. Public information and records

will not only allow India to receive due credit as an emerging player, but will also

facilitate cooperation with other donors. If Indias goal is to be recognized as a

significant donor, it must start acting like one.

Bihar to get global aid of Rs 2,550 cr.

PATNA: As an indicator of the state's improved capacity to absorb money for implementing

various developmental schemes, the state government will get Rs 2,550.53 crore from

international financial institutions during the next fiscal.

Deputy CM and finance minister Sushil Kumar Modi said this while presenting his seventh

successive budget in the state assembly on Friday. The money would be used for executing

the externally aided projects, Modi added.

The amount is not a big deal in view of the money flowing to several other states from the

international financial institutions. The big news is that the money flow as aid and loan from

the international institutions to Bihar during the 2011-12 fiscal alone would be Rs 525 crore

more than the sum obtained in the last five fiscals.

Beginning 2006-07, the state raised Rs 2,035 crore as loan and aid till th

global aid for development is a chimera

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