&
Realities
Myths
Myth: Development assistance is a big
Reality: Development assistance is less
part of the U.S. budget and is fueling our record
budget deficit.
than 1 percent of the U.S. budget, so cutting it
would not help fix the deficit. It does, however,
save millions of human lives every year.
Myth: Not much progress can be made
Reality: In less than two generations,
against a problem as big as hunger.
global hunger has been cut in half. Instead of
one person out of every three suffering from
hunger and malnutrition, it’s now one person
out of every six—still far too many, but a big
improvement.
Reality: The global situation is now one
where there’s a heightened sense of momentum,
more commitment and leadership, and better
knowledge of “what works.” The United States
is leading the way with new initiatives such as
Feed the Future, which focuses on agriculture
and nutrition.
Myth: It’s a waste of time and money to
Reality: In recent years, there has been
give development assistance, because it never
gets to the people who need it.
much more emphasis on transparency and
adherence to strict accounting standards. It
has become increasingly difficult for anyone to
make aid money “disappear,” lost to corruption.
There are many examples of children, families,
and communities who have benefited from
development programs. And, of course, there
are the longer-term results just mentioned: the
rate of global hunger has been cut in half.
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