A new tool to evaluate governments' humanitarian spending can help countries get aid out more efficiently to those who need it, say former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the Spain-based non-profit DARA. Their Humanitarian Response Index (HRI), launched Thursday in London, ranks Sweden as the world leader in humanitarian aid. Norway comes second, followed by Denmark, the Netherlands and the European Commission. The U.S. scores a lowly 16th out of 23. (See the full rankings below).
Surprised at the findings? The index is less about total funding (although, per capita, the U.S. is no world leader by that measure either), and more about how well aid dollars reach their beneficiaries. The index ranks 22 developed countries and the European Commission on how consistently each adheres to guidelines they all approved in 2003, the Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship.
Those principles, among other things, enshrine the goals of humanitarian aid as alleviating suffering according to need, irrespective of political goals, and in a way that supports long-term development. The index weighs 57 indicators, 25 from hard data and 32 from a survey among several hundred fieldworkers (asking, for example, whether donors collaborate well with non-profits and businesses). In short, the index reviews how well countries are following their own global donor guidelines. "If you take the top from the bottom, there are big differences," says Silvia Hidalgo, DARA director, and co-author of the report. Sweden is this year's clear winner, first in a stunning 19 of the 57 categories, because it gives funds quickly, in cash, and follows up predictably as long as projects pass their regular parliamentary reviews.
For the U.S., a mediocre ranking reflects mixed performance. While funding is allocated relatively well along international guidelines, much of the country's aid is tightly earmarked for specific projects or comes as physical goods instead of cash - fine for those projects, but a big constraint on how recipients can respond to emergencies and unplanned events.
As a matter of fact, I'm not suprised by the findings. Despite leading the world, whenever we are judged by socialist-based standards, we suffer. Our health care system was so judged recently:
Bad assumptions lead to bad metrics. Bad metrics lead to bad conclusions.
I suppose if you define beauty by girth and screechy volume, Rosie O'Donnell beats out Parker Posey or Meg Ryan. Or Jessica Alba. Or Grace Park, while I'm thinking of her. Or Jennifer Aniston.
Hey! This blogging is getting fun!
Erm, what were we discussing, again?
Oh, right. Metrics. I'm getting distracted here; but my point is, would any sane man with working eyes, functional ears, and a minimally sparking brain stem conclude that Rosie beats any of these women in the looks department? Or most women? Or even commercially available inflatable dolls? Choose the right metric, people.
When the values of the international community are imposed on us, we can look bad whether we are talking war or health care. Something to keep in mind as an American.
Plus, surveying most aid workers will probably slant the results away from the US, I have no doubt. And yet another largely European standard probably won't treat us even-handedly.
As an aside since this issue also comes up when addressing American aid to the rest of the world, it does not count private citizen donations. The rest of the world tends to let their government provide almost all the aid. Our people as individuals and in private organizations donate a lot.
Anyway, I see no reason why we should take hits for directing our aid. That way it is less likely to just end up in a Swiss bank account.
And as for those emergencies and unplanned events that we shortchange with our aid policies? Well, this aid is never ever counted, now is it?
Speaking to reporters from Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii via video link November 27, Admiral Timothy Keating, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said the USS Kearsarge has arrived in Bangladesh with 1,200 Marines and 1,200 sailors aboard who were greeted warmly by the people of Bangladesh.
Equipped with 20 helicopters, the U.S. forces will have delivered 160 tons of relief supplies to the storm victims by the end of this week, the admiral said. He underscored that the Marines and sailors are working to support the U.S. Agency for International Development and are filling requests of the Bangladeshi government.
Yet we always provide this type of help. Pity this doesn't meet the lofty goals of Principles and Good Practice of Humanitarian Donorship.
