Overseas aid has its faults but it has helped transform the lives of millions of poor people in Africa and beyond, an Oxfam report published today said.
21st Century Aid, Oxfam’s answer to recent attacks on development aid, sets out how aid contributes to economic growth by improving health services, giving millions more children an education and supporting poor people’s livelihoods.
Aid has helped to:
– Reduce the number of children who die before their fifth birthday by 4 million since 1990
– Put 33 million more children in the classroom
– Increased tenfold the number of people receiving HIV medication
Sweeping dismissals of aid are dangerous and risk cuts in support that is a lifeline to millions, the agency said. And calls for aid to be more closely linked to the national interest of donors risk reducing its effectiveness in tackling poverty.
Oxfam acknowledges that some aid money is misspent, but argues this a reason to improve aid, not reduce it. Aid itself can and does play a key role in fighting corruption, paying the salaries of policemen and judges in Africa, strengthening the free press and helping ordinary people in poor countries to hold their governments to account.
The agency warns that in the current economic climate, governments may use these sweeping criticisms as cover for not delivering promised aid increases, jeopardising key commitments such as ensuring every mother and child has access to free health care.
Desmond Tutu said: “This report is a timely reminder that aid has transformed the lives of millions of people around the world – giving them access to life-saving healthcare and their children chance to attend school. Aid critics who ignore the benefits aid brings are at best misguided and at worst putting ideology ahead of real improvements in the lives of poor men women and children.”
Phil Bloomer, Oxfam Campaigns and Policy Director, said: “Thoughtful criticism continues to play a vital part in improving aid and addressing its weaknesses but too many of the recent attacks have been ill-informed, ideological and ultimately irresponsible. We need a grown up debate that recognises the many successes of aid as well as the isolated and high profile failures.
“Helping people in some of the most dangerous and deprived countries of the world is a risky business, but the returns are huge, not only in lives saved but in the huge number changed for the better.
“Arguing that aid should be cut because some is misspent is like arguing that the NHS budget should be slashed because of waste found at a few hospitals. Ordinary people rely on the services that our aid buys; they should not be made to pay the price for corruption in the corridors of power.
“Aid has funded tens of millions of free bed nets over the past five years, restricting the spread of malaria which costs the African economy £12bn each year.
“21st century aid should not be a casualty of corruption, but instead a tool to fix it by strengthening ordinary people’s ability to hold their own governments to account.
“Poor people need aid more than ever to help them weather the economic crisis and climate change. Rich countries need to deliver on their promises.”
The report also calls on politicians to resist calls to tie aid spending more closely to issues of ‘national interest’ as this reduces its effectiveness in tackling poverty and has in the past led to abuses such as the £234 million given to the Malaysian Pergau dam project in the 1990s – a project that had no economic or humanitarian benefit.
Bloomer said: “Far from tackling corruption, the suggestion that aid should be tied to British national interests would ensure that significant amounts of the UK’s overseas aid would not reach those who need it most.”
Oxfam tackles head on the arguments of some critics that aid could be replaced by money raised on capital markets, increased trade or domestic taxation.
Bloomer said: “I dream of a world where aid is no longer needed but today’s reality is very different. Poor countries suffer from unfair trade rules that restrict their ability to grow and lose billions of pounds every year to off-shore tax havens tolerated by rich nations.
“The recent economic crisis and past debt crises show the folly of poor countries relying on international capital markets to fund vital public services. If Greece can be destabilized by global financial markets, then what chance does Gabon have?”
/Ends
Further information, to request a copy of the report or to arrange an interview:
Jon Slater 01865 472249/07876 476403/
Sarah Dransfield 01865 472269/07767 085636
Notes to editors
: The past 18 months have seen a surge in criticism of development aid that threatens to undermine public and official support. Prominent critics have included: Dambisa Moyo, the International Policy Network and media commentators.
B-roll footage, photographs and case studies are available:
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