News: Billions 'wasted' by aid system.

Billions of dollars will be wasted unless there is a radical overhaul of the system of giving aid, a report from Care International warns. It states too much money is being spent on short-term fixes during emergencies, rather than on longer-term prevention work.

"It is much more cost effective to support people who are on the brink of a disaster, rather than "fire-fighting when you have to manage an emergency response. If we take the example of Niger, in west Africa. In 2005, it was costing about $80 (£44) to save a malnourished child at the height of the crisis," Care said, adding we should: "admit that business-as-usual hasn't worked, and agree to change mind-sets, and really change the way that everyone works". (Full)


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Picture courtesy Ramin Rafirasme/WFP