Inequality in the Distribution of Military Aid
Hey delegates!
As it gets closer to conference, it is very important that everyone begins to consolidate ideas and grasp a good understanding of certain aspects of the topics. For the topic of military aid, one aspect that we would urge you all to pay attention to is how countries distribute military aid.
For example, as noted in our topic synopsis, the regional distribution of US aid is highly disproportionate - over half of aid goes to the Middle East, while equally tumultuous regions in Africa get less than 25 percent.
We want delegates to think about the explanation for this unequal distribution of military aid, not just from the US, but from many other countries as well. In addition, I urge everyone to learn about the impacts of this unequal distribution for the regions that receive less attention.
A pretty significant example of this is the famine in Somalia that peaked in 2017 and is still ongoing.
The article I would like to present to you today is published by Al Jazeera, discussing the "top 10 countries most at risk of humanitarian disaster in 2019." Most of the countries on this list are in Africa or the Middle East, and the reason for their instability is often due to ongoing conflict.
Take this opportunity to learn more about specific countries in need of military aid and other resources, and try to identify ways the international community can better serve the marginalized states that haven't received the attention they deserve.
For example, the article finds that throughout 2018, "parts of Nigeria experienced repeated attacks by armed groups...As a result, over two million Nigerians were displaced internally."
Here is the link to the article: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/top-10-countries-risk-humanitarian-disaster-2019-181213184843061.html
I am excited to hear your arguments during conference! Feel free to comment any questions or thoughts!
As it gets closer to conference, it is very important that everyone begins to consolidate ideas and grasp a good understanding of certain aspects of the topics. For the topic of military aid, one aspect that we would urge you all to pay attention to is how countries distribute military aid.
For example, as noted in our topic synopsis, the regional distribution of US aid is highly disproportionate - over half of aid goes to the Middle East, while equally tumultuous regions in Africa get less than 25 percent.
We want delegates to think about the explanation for this unequal distribution of military aid, not just from the US, but from many other countries as well. In addition, I urge everyone to learn about the impacts of this unequal distribution for the regions that receive less attention.
A pretty significant example of this is the famine in Somalia that peaked in 2017 and is still ongoing.
The article I would like to present to you today is published by Al Jazeera, discussing the "top 10 countries most at risk of humanitarian disaster in 2019." Most of the countries on this list are in Africa or the Middle East, and the reason for their instability is often due to ongoing conflict.
Take this opportunity to learn more about specific countries in need of military aid and other resources, and try to identify ways the international community can better serve the marginalized states that haven't received the attention they deserve.
For example, the article finds that throughout 2018, "parts of Nigeria experienced repeated attacks by armed groups...As a result, over two million Nigerians were displaced internally."
Here is the link to the article: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/top-10-countries-risk-humanitarian-disaster-2019-181213184843061.html
I am excited to hear your arguments during conference! Feel free to comment any questions or thoughts!
The delegation of China strongly believes that the international community should not coerce other countries into unwillingly giving aid to places if they do not want to, and should instead encourage and assist the countries that are open to providing aid a way to efficiently do so. We believe that the international community should not allocate the U.S.’s funds for it, as they have the right to choose where their funds should be appropriated. However, China does recognize the urgent need to help countries on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, and therefore encourages an easier path of assistance for countries open to doing so.
ReplyDeleteWhile less than 25% of U.S. aid has reached poverty-stricken regions of Africa, China gave 47% of its total foreign assistance to Africa in 2009 (Zhang 2016). This just goes to show that nations cannot become overly-reliant on U.S. assistance as other countries, such as China, are able and would be willing to provide this relief. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on U.S. aid, China recommends taking an approach where more efficient means providing aid are opened up for more countries to participate and help. Therefore, the inequality in the distribution of military aid should not be interfered with, seeing that other countries, besides the US, ultimately help balance it out. The U.S. should be able to provide assistance to areas that they choose to; not other countries. Meanwhile, China is able and willing to provide aid to areas in need.
-The Delegation of China
Zhang, Junyi. “Chinese Foreign Assistance, Explained.” Brookings.edu, The Brookings
Institution, 1 Aug. 2016, www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2016/07/19/
chinese-foreign-assistance-explained/.
Often, the primary issue in the distribution of military aid lies amongst the issues of alliance, ideologies, and culture. While countless nations commit to one another in the decision of supporting and assisting their cause, The United Kingdom finds the growing dependency on aid to be a key contributor to the unequal distribution of military aid. Currently, the top five countries receiving security aid are Afghanistan, Israel, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, and Jordan as the nations continue receiving millions of dollars in an attempt to strengthen military operations, new forms of training and new equipment.
ReplyDeleteThe country of Afghanistan, the number one nation in terms of receiving military aid, continues working with the United States who began sending military aid to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. By working and aiding Afghan troops, the United States hoped to take down the Taliban and capture Osama Bin Laden, though once taken down, the country began moving into a reconstruction period, resulting in the expansion of troops from five thousand to sixty five thousand.
While The United Kingdom believes in aiding all nations who are in need, our primary belief and stance on the issue at hand is that we will work to assist, though avoid dependency.
-The United Kingdom
“Foreign Aid: How and Where Is the UK's Budget Spent?” The Week UK, The Week UK, www.theweek.co.uk/63394/foreign-aid-how-and-where-is-britain-s-budget-spent.
Haynes, Jessica. “Here Are the Countries That Receive the Most Foreign Aid from the US.” ABC News, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 20 Dec. 2017, www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-21/here-are-the-countries-that-get-the-most-foreign-aid-from-the-us/9278164.
The Delegation of China commends the United Kingdom for expressing the importance of continuing aid while still avoiding dependency. Countries must be able to be self-sufficient, but that doesn’t go without saying that they should still be welcomed with open arms by the international community when faced with times of crisis. China, like the United Kingdom, would like to work towards a solution that takes these two aspects into consideration when deciding when and where aid should be focused.
Delete- The Delegation of China
The Delegation of the Central African Republic agrees with previous statements that aid must continue to countries in the immediate aftermaths of a crisis. While the delegation recognizes that self sustaining aid alleviates an immense burden placed on members of the international community to come to the aid of these countries, we as the international community cannot simply cut off aid from other countries and expect them to become automatically independent. We must continue supplying aid to the countries in need until they have the means to support themselves. The CAR would like to work with its fellow member states to reach a solution that follows this outlined structure.
Delete-The Delegation of the Central African Republic
The delegation of Iran recognizes the uneven distribution of military aid and would like to stress the fact that Western powers supply a majority of their aid to Middle Eastern countries in order to manipulate them. The constant threat and prevalence of Western nations forces countries receiving their aid to adapt their policies. This has an adverse effect and leaves these smaller nations helpless and weakened. Iran is working in many fellow Middle Eastern nations to remove the suffocating effects of Western powers. Iran believes cultural sensitivity and national sovereignty are crucial aspects when providing aid to a nation. Iran provides aid to nations such as Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Jordan due to their similar cultures and geographical similarities. Aid should be provided much more cautiously to anticipate complications. If the international community is less careless with throwing aid to countries, smaller nations will have the ability to use foreign aid to their advantage and continue to maintain sovereignty.
ReplyDelete-Delegation of Iran
The delegation of Andorra strongly believes that the regional discrepancy in international military aid is justified by the differences between the Middle East and impoverished, violent regions of Africa. For one, the Middle East possesses a far greater capability to threaten countries around the globe than those in violent regions of Africa. It is of utmost importance that military aid be provided in the Middle East to prevent the region from falling into the hands of extremists and/or dictators in order to keep the rest of the world safe. However, Africa has posed a far lesser threat internationally in the past than the dictatorships and extremist groups of the Middle East, who have wreaked havoc on world economies and diplomatic relations in the past. Thus, Andorra believes that the Middle East requires greater military aid than Africa.
ReplyDeleteThe delegation of Andorra looks forward to working with our fellow UN delegates.