ES Views Letter of the Day: Africa’s corruption could block aid

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In need: will the Government’s £170 million in aid reach the right emergency areas?
23 February 2017
WEST END FINAL

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I note that the Government has recently decided to send £170 million in emergency humanitarian aid to South Sudan to ease the effects of drought and poverty in the region.

As an Englishman who has lived and worked throughout Africa for the past 35 years, I know that very little of this aid will reach the intended recipients, due to the catastrophic levels of corruption and money laundering throughout the continent. This means the drought and pestilence will continue unabated in South Sudan.

This is not new. When I lived in South Africa, I recall seeing posters going up in the capital city of Pretoria that advertised large stocks of aid from the United States being sold off at bargain-basement prices, due to the fact that the aid was “surplus to requirements”.

It looks like the British Government is, once again, going down the same road of salving a few consciences but actually accomplishing very little.
Edward Mitchell

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