Disaster relief and foreign aid aren’t the same thing

by Tim Wilson, August 3, 2011

A few weeks ago the Sydney Morning Herald ran an op-ed by Greens Senator, Sarah Hanson Young, highlighting the issues of famine in Africa.

Irrespective of anyone’s individual opinion on foreign aid support for starving people in cases of famine is neither political nor anything anyone really opposes. And for good reason. Disasters occur that are well outside of any individual’s control. In such circumstances people often cannot help themselves and human compassion rightly overrides. And despite not endorsing all aspects of her article Hanson-Young is right to call for greater support.

But where SD differs with Hanson-Young is over disaster relief versus foreign aid. They are not the same thing. Disaster relief should be temporary and for incredible circumstances. Foreign aid has a much longer life span and normally relates much more closely to issues of human governance. The two should not be confused, as the Senator likes to do to advance her political views.

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