28.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Aid There are advantages and disadvantages of aid.
Advantages
Emergency aid in times of disaster saves lives.
Aid helps to rebuild housing and industry after a disaster.
Provision of medical training, medicines and equipment can improve health and standards of living. It also enables people to become self-sufficient.
Aid in the form of resources helps people to help themselves, e.g. by increasing years spent in school and improving literacy levels.
abc Being literate
Your teacher will read aloud the statements below. If you agree with the statement, thumbs up (or put your hand up), and if you do not agree, thumbs down (or keep your hand down). Count and note for each statement how many students’ thumbs/hands go up and how many thumbs/hands stay down. You must then explain in writing why you agreed or disagreed with each statement.
Statement 1: Giving money is the best way to fight world poverty. Statement 2: The Irish government should give less money to foreign countries. Statement 3: We should only give aid to countries with strong democratic governments.
Disadvantages
Aid can increase the dependency of developing countries on donor countries. Also, sometimes aid is tied and recipients are forced to buy goods and services from the ‘donor’ country.
Aid may not reach the people who need it most. Corruption may lead to local politicians using aid for their own ends or for political gain.
Aid can be used to put political or economic pressure on the receiving country. The country may end up owing a donor country or organisation a favour.
Aid in the form of defence, i.e. military aid, can help countries defend their borders. This aid often promotes the military or political ambitions of the powerful donor country. It can also be used to promote anti-democratic dictators in the countries receiving this type of aid.