One Step Closer to the End of Poverty

Every day deaths are caused by some type of disaster all over the world. Some disasters can be prevented, like warfare and poverty, whereas other disasters can come without warning, such as natural disasters. When countries are suffering from poverty or are shaken up by something such as an earthquake or hurricane, they look towards American Humanitarians and our government to lend them a hand. Newspapers constantly talk about countries pleading for help: "We have the resources, we have the know-how to end extreme poverty” (Stossel, Patrick McMenamin 42). And it is true. Our government does provide money and resources to these countries that are begging for help, but not enough. Our country provides more money to aid countries in their civil wars than it does to provide foreign aid for countries that desperately need help. Most aid is intended to be spent as investment projects in particular areas of need such as supplying medicine and water to Third World countries, and rebuilding new roads and homes for countries that are destroyed by natural disasters. The main problem, as most experts put it, is that “aid is substitutable and what the money is supposed to be used for is spent on something else” (Rieff 225). Warfare should be the last thing our government should be focusing on with disasters such as Haiti’s earthquake and with so many deaths from diseases caused by poverty. To help reduce poverty in the world, American Humanitarians and our government should focus more on countries with poverty problems and natural disasters and less on wars with other countries.
Every morning our newspapers could report, “more than 20,000 people perished yesterday of extreme poverty” (New York Times). Up to 8,000 children dead of malaria, 5,000 mothers and fathers dead from tuberculosis, 7,500 young adults dead from AIDS, and thousands more dead of other killer diseases that can attack from starving stomachs of the poor. Many die in hospital wards that lack medicine, in villages that lack mosquito nets, and in homes that lack safe drinking water. Lack of good drinking water is a major problem in almost all African villages especially in desert countries like Niger, Sudan and Mali. Water is very scarce and lack of good, safe drinking water is a major problem in Ethiopia and surrounding countries where most people and farm animals share same water sources. Children walk miles upon miles every day to nearby streams to fetch water. Although there are many rivers and streams in the Western, Central, and Southern parts of Africa, good drinking water is a major problem in these areas. Most of the water sources in these areas are infested with water related diseases such as bilharzia, sleeping sickness, river blindness, guinea worm disease and malaria. Due to poor sanitation in Africa diseases like malaria and cholera are very common. Lack of wealth and development creates an environment where mosquitoes are very common near rivers and lakes. Malaria kills hundreds of Africans a day. A way to prevent malaria from happening is to ensure everyone uses mosquito nets. But with such a poor economy and lack of wealth, few people can afford mosquito nets. The only way for people to get mosquito nets in Africa is if our government pays for them and donates them along with all other narcotics, medicine, and fresh drinking water to help prevent the many illnesses and deaths.
One problem that affects these countries is their government. Corrupted governments can be found in democracies as well as authoritarian states; therefore, the first world’s attempts to implement democracy have no effect on this factor. (Easterly, 129) In fact, it may actually lead to more corruption as the U.S. and others set up a democracy with a leader who is not necessarily interested in the country’s welfare. The primary problem to the obstacle of corruption is that organizations insist on dealing with the government. It would be more efficient to circumvent the governments completely instead of trying to change them. William Easterly argues that even if a “bribe” would be required by the domestic government to allow international institutes to effect programs, the costs would be minimal in comparison with what is now lost to corruption. (132) Francois Bourguignon agrees with this principal as well, “For these fragile states, aid must be managed differently, possibly bypassing government to channel resources directly to end users.” As the population’s basic needs are met through international aid and education becomes more widespread, the people will be able to fix their own government. With an increase in human capital, the population will be able to reform their government without the interference of the first world in the designing of a new political system. Seeing as even first world governments are not perfect, it would make sense that countries that have spent so much time experiencing what is wrong with governments would develop a better one. However, the people cannot even start without international aid to increase the availability and feasibility of education.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods can often come at the least expected time. Others, such as hurricanes and cyclones are increasing in severity and destruction. Typically, the poor are the worst hit for they have the least resources to cope and rebuild. Natural disasters can be very devastating to other countries. When poor countries face disasters, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and fires, the cost of rebuilding becomes even more of an issue when they are already burdened with debt. Often, poor countries suffer with many lost lives and homes. Aid and disaster relief often does come in from of international relief organizations, rich countries and international institutions , but sometimes poor countries are still paying millions of dollars a week back in the form of debt repayment (O’Conner 34) The earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 was just one of a record number of natural disasters. Other natural disasters can cause major destruction around the world and resulted in $222 billion in economic losses (O’Conner 25). Earlier this year, “major flooding in Australia submerged Brisbane” So says the local Channel 4 news. Severe weather resulting from climate change coupled with urbanization has increased the devastating effects of natural disasters on vulnerable populations. How can and should the international community respond? How can technology assist with disaster management? Rebuilding efforts serve as a short term boost by attracting resources to a country, and the disasters themselves, by destroying old factories and old roads, airports, and bridges, allow new and more efficient public and private infrastructure to be built, forcing the transition to a sleeker, more productive economy in the long term. (78)
This country is going to spend more than $400 billion on the military this year, and about another $100 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But, that amount is never going to buy Americans peace if the government continues to spend an average $15 billion in foreign aid for the poor. The Pentagon’s budget is 25 times that size. All throughout Africa, thousands of people die needlessly every day from diseases. One hundred years ago, before we had the medical knowledge to do away with all these diseases, this might have been understandable. But we are the first generation that is able to afford ending poverty and the diseases it creates. “Its past time we step up to the plate” says Jeffrey Sachs, the economist who leads the United Nations’ Millennium Development Project to end global poverty. Since September 11, 2001, the United States has started a war on terror, but it has neglected the deeper cause of global unsteadiness. If we keep using this small $15 billion to address the dilemma of the world’s poor, then things will not get better. These third world countries are already the havens of violence and terror.
Many people still live in poverty and have to survive with malnutrition, illiteracy and AIDS. Efforts have been made to help these poor countries suffering from hardships such as poverty, and natural disasters. Rich countries donate money to poor countries for economic and political reasons. An underdeveloped country is one which is backward from the economic point of view. Per capita income of the people in such a country is low, resulting in sub- standard living. Such countries suffer from lack of industrialization. Their economy is generally dependent on agriculture, which is normally in a bad shape. They also suffer from lack of capital and technical know-how. The natural resources remain unexploited there. These countries need help through education and funding to develop a stable economy. It is the duty for American Humanitarians and our government to help these poor third world countries out of poverty and any other incidents these countries may face like the natural disasters that hit them. As soon as America focuses less on other countries wars, and focuses more on these third world countries that need help, we will be a step closer to making the world a better place.