From the article:
A clear trend in the leaked figures is to take money away from USAID programs, sometimes replacing it – at least partially – with Economic Support Funds (ESF) managed by the State Department.
While USAID channels most of its money through non-governmental organizations working on development goals such as boosting agricultural output, or improving health and education and governance, ESF goes mainly to recipient governments that can do pretty much what they like with it.
“ESF objectives are driven by [US] strategic considerations, not poverty reduction,” says Scott Morris, an analyst at the Center for Global Development, a Washington-based think tank. It is a convenient way to keep friendly governments onside in important parts of the world.
Foreign aid advocates are hoping that Congress, when called upon to approve the budget, will balk at giving the administration such large amounts of unaccountable money, and that it will restore at least some of the development aid.
Read the full article here.
