Why has aid to poor nations dropped?

Although rich countries donated more aid in 2016 compared to 2015, flows to the world’s poorest countries dropped. “A rise in aid spent on refugees in donor countries boosted the total — but even stripping out refugee costs, aid rose 7.1 per cent,” the OECD report noted. “Despite this progress, the 2016 data show that bilateral (countryto-country) aid to the least-developed countries fell by 3.9 per cent in real terms from 2015 and aid to Africa fell 0.5 per cent.”

The OECD said that some Development Assistance Committee members had “backtracked on a commitment to reverse past declines in flows to the poorest countries”.

Overall, development aid in 2016 reached a new peak of $142.6 billion — around Dh524 billion — an 8.9 per cent increase from 2015 after adjusting for exchange rates and inflation.

The UAE does not provide conditional assistance and neither does for the sake of reciprocal interests. It does so only for the good and stability of all peoples.” Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum