Aid (Notes)

Aid is something given by wealthier developed countries to poorer developing countries that will be of some benefit to them. E.g. Money, food and medicines.

The donor country is the country who gives away the aid.

The recipient country is the country who receives the aid.

Bilateral aid is where one government gives money to another government.

Multilateral aid is where a number of countries give money to an organisation.

Emergency aid is aid given to a country that suffered a recent natural disaster such as an earthquake.

Development aid is aid that provides help to countries over a long period of time like money for healthcare, education and infrastructure in a country.

Tied aid is purchasable aid to poor countries. It is the only aid that benefits the donor country also so it is not always good for the recipient country.

Aid can help poor countries because:

- In times of natural disasters, emergency aid is vital in saving lives.
- Healthcare and education improve drastically when development aid is given.
- Relationships can be forged between two countries, creating better links and improvements within the country.
- NGOs (Non-government organisations) can help upskill local people.

But aid can also have negative effects on the poor country because:

- Countries can become very dependent on aid. This could result in countries not developing themselves.
- Corruption can lead to aid being stolen and not reaching its intended target.
- Tied aid could benefit the donor country more than the recipient country.
- Aid can lead to huge amounts of money being spent on arms and weapons. This in turn can lead to wars.