Types of aid
Emergencyor short-term aid - needed after sudden disasters such as the 2000
Mozambique floods or the 2004 Asian tsunami.
Conditional or tied aid - when one country donates money or resources to another
(bilateral aid) but with conditions attached. These conditions will often be in the
MEDC's favour, eg the controversial Pergau Dam project in Malaysia, where
Britain used aid to secure trade deals with Malaysia.
Charitable
aid - funded by donations from the public through organisations such as
OXFAM.
Long-term or development aid - involves providing local communities with
education and skills for sustainable development, usually through organisations
such as Practical Action.
Multilateralaid - given through international organisations such as the World Bank
rather than by one specific country.
Advantages and disadvantages of aid
Sometimes, aid can bring long-term problems as well as advantages to the recipient country.
The table gives some of the arguments for and against the provision of aid to LEDCs.
For Against
Aid can increase the dependency of LEDCs on
Emergency aid in times of disaster saves donor countries. Sometimes aid is not a gift,
lives. but a loan, and poor countries may struggle to
repay.
Aid may not reach the people who need it
Aid helps rebuild livelihoods and most. Corruption may lead to local politicians
housing after a disaster. using aid for their own means or for political
gain.
Aid can be used to put political or economic
Provision of medical
pressure on the receiving country. The country
training, medicines and equipment can
may end up owing a donor country or
improve health and standards of living.
organisation a favour.
Aid for agriculture can help increase
Sometimes projects do not benefit smaller
food production and so improve the
farmers and projects are often large scale.
quality and quantity of food available.
Emergencyor short-term aid - needed after sudden disasters such as the 2000
Mozambique floods or the 2004 Asian tsunami.
Conditional or tied aid - when one country donates money or resources to another
(bilateral aid) but with conditions attached. These conditions will often be in the
MEDC's favour, eg the controversial Pergau Dam project in Malaysia, where
Britain used aid to secure trade deals with Malaysia.
Charitable
aid - funded by donations from the public through organisations such as
OXFAM.
Long-term or development aid - involves providing local communities with
education and skills for sustainable development, usually through organisations
such as Practical Action.
Multilateralaid - given through international organisations such as the World Bank
rather than by one specific country.
Advantages and disadvantages of aid
Sometimes, aid can bring long-term problems as well as advantages to the recipient country.
The table gives some of the arguments for and against the provision of aid to LEDCs.
For Against
Aid can increase the dependency of LEDCs on
Emergency aid in times of disaster saves donor countries. Sometimes aid is not a gift,
lives. but a loan, and poor countries may struggle to
repay.
Aid may not reach the people who need it
Aid helps rebuild livelihoods and most. Corruption may lead to local politicians
housing after a disaster. using aid for their own means or for political
gain.
Aid can be used to put political or economic
Provision of medical
pressure on the receiving country. The country
training, medicines and equipment can
may end up owing a donor country or
improve health and standards of living.
organisation a favour.
Aid for agriculture can help increase
Sometimes projects do not benefit smaller
food production and so improve the
farmers and projects are often large scale.
quality and quantity of food available.
