Friday, May 9, 2008
Guess who the biggest donor is, and guess who gave (or didn't give) at the office:
...WFP [World Food Program] internal documents show that the major oil producing nations of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) gives almost nothing to the food organization, even as skyrocketing oil prices and swollen oil revenues contribute to the very crisis that the U.N. claims could soon add 100 million more people to the world’s starving masses.
The overwhelming bulk of the burden in feeding the world’s starving poor remains with the United States and a small group of other predominately Western nations, a situation that the WFP has done little so far to change, even as it has asked for another $775 million in donations to ease the crisis.
Donor listings on WFP’s website show that this year, as in every year since 1999, the U.S. is far and away the biggest aid provider to WFP. Since 2001, U.S. donations to the food agency have averaged more than $1.16 billion annually -- or more than five times as much as the next biggest donor, the European Commission.
This year, the U.S. had contributed $362.7 million to WFP just through May 4, according to the website. That figure does not include another $250 million above the planned yearly contribution that was promised by President George W. Bush in the wake of WFP’s April warning that a “silent tsunami” of rising food costs would add dramatically to the world population living in hunger. Nor does it include another $770 million in food aid that President Bush has asked Congress to provide as soon as possible.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, with oil revenues last year of $164 billion, does not even appear on the website donor list for 2008...
...The OPEC total amounts to roughly one minute and 10 seconds worth of the organization’s estimated $674 billion in annual oil revenues in 2007 -- revenues that will be vastly exceeded in 2008 with the continuing spiral in world oil prices.
The only other major oil exporter who made the WFP list of 2008 donors was the United Arab Emirates, which kicked in $50,000. UAE oil revenues in 2007 were $63 billion...
I totally agree.
instead of buying crap millitary equipment that are 10 years old from countries like the usa and uk,which is uneeded in the first place they should donate that money.
What a surpise that the Saudi keepers of the faith don't walk it like they talk it. After all, zakat (charity -- one of the pillars of Islam, as far as this kufar knows).
Governmental budgets must be a little thin after exporting jihad with all the mosques they build in dar al-harb (Lit. land of the sword. As distinct from dar al-Islam). Or funding dhimmitude study centers with major gifts to Western universities.
The royals must be a little short of personal cash after buying their Airbus 380 flying palaces and solid gold toilets.
Trifling matters like masses of starving people will just have to wait. After all, it's important that these enlightened, elevated nobles fly and crap in style.
Rome, 23 May 2008 - The World Food Programme has met its extraordinary call for US$755 million to compensate for the increased costs of food and fuel with a US$500 million donation from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, received yesterday and announced today.
“We turned to the world to help the hungry and the world has been generous,” said Executive Director Josette Sheeran. “This is an example of what humanitarians around the world can do when we come together to address problems that affect us all.”
Casablanca, May 23rd, 2008 (WAM) - President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has decided to grant a financial aid of US$ 300 million to Morocco, to help ease the impact of rising energy prices in the kingdom, a statement by the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs '&' Cooperation said today.