The Washington Post quotes CGD senior fellow Steve Radelet on the financial crisis and its impact on U.S. foreign aid.
From the article:
"Notwithstanding these pledges, some major nongovernmental humanitarian organizations and officials with several chief UN programs for the poor have expressed concern that the cost paid by developed nations to rescue their battered financial sectors is likely to sharply cut back everything from food aid to disease mitigation. Steven Radelet of the Center for Global Development told Reuters: 'Foreign assistance is not going to have the preeminent role that it has had in past years' in Washington. There are also concerns about the appetite developed nations will have for shouldering costs to implement new emissions controls to limit greenhouse gases. Some experts in the field, like UN Special Envoy Kevin M. Conrad, worry the financial crisis will lead to excuses for delaying action. However, Conrad also sees an opportunity for making progress sooner in the new economic climate."