Quoted: Development at gunpoint?

The IRC's Michael Young says it is unclear whether militarized aid is effective in war-torn countries such as Afghanistan.

Photo: Peter Biro/IRC

“Even given the best intentions, massive budgets and pressure to spend almost always translate into ineffective use of funds.”

-    Michael Young, the International Rescue Committee’s regional director for Asia, Caucasus and the Middle East, in an article published in Foreign Affairs on December 19.  Young notes that billions of dollars in aid is delivered by soldiers and private contractors at the behest of the political and military leadership.  He says this so-called "militarized aid" is ineffective, wasteful, and puts lives at risk.