Advantages and Disadvantages of Giving International Aid to Poor Countries

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Giving International Aid to Poor Countries

Poor countries have been receiving aid from the international community for over a century now. While such aid is supposed to be considered an act of kindness from the donor nations or international bodies, it has led to over dependence among the developing countries. They have adopted the habit of estimating and including international aid in their national budgets to reduce their balance of trade deficits. It is believed that foreign aid is necessary for poor nations in order to break the cycle of poverty that ties their citizens in low productivity zones and so their economy will not be weak. However, some critics view the extension of aid to poor countries as means of keeping the nations in economic slumber so that they can wake up from only by devising ways of furthering self-sustainability. Because of these two schools of thought concerning the topic, debate has arisen on which side is more rational and factual than the other. The non-sustainable nature of international aid, however, leaves the question of what may happen in the event that foreign aid is unavailable for the poor nations. After thorough consideration on the effects of the assistance to poor countries, it is sufficient to state that giving international aid to the poor nations is more disadvantageous than beneficial to the nations. This point is argued through an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of giving international aid to the poor countries with appropriate examples drawn from various regions of the world to prove the stance.

International aid furthers economic laziness among the poor nations, making them stay longer in poverty when they could work ways easily out o...

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...The New York Times, 2009. Web.

Retrieved 25 April, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Nixon, R. “Politics: Provision Could Limit U.S. Food Aid.” The New York Times, 2014. Web.

Retrieved 25 April, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/25/us/politics/provision-could-limit-us-food-aid.html?ref=foodaid&version=meter+at+6®ion=FixedCenter&pgtype=article&priority=true&module=RegiWall-Regi&action=click

Provost, C. “Aid still benefits companies from donor countries.” The Guardian, 2011. Web.

Retrieved 25 April, 2014 from http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2011/sep/07/aid-benefits-donor-countries-companies

Sha, A. “Foreign Aid for Development Assistance.” Global Issues Organization, 2012. Web.

Retrieved 25 April, 2014 from http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/foreign-aid-development-assistance

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