Donors cannot interfere [Archives:2003/660/Letters to the Editor]

Farouk Al Samawi
[email protected]
I think I understand your point about donors knowing that corruption exists in Yemen on a massive scale. I don't share your view that donors ought to demand change. Because they would be walking a fine line between giving without conditions or giving with strings attached. Thus being seen as interfering in internal politics. You can just imagine a country saying” We will give you X amount of dollars but you must change X minister, or let so and so handle it.” I think it is our responsibility, as a people, to, at least, take charity given to us and deliver it to the right place. I really, don't want to believe that we are so morally corrupt, to the point we don't have a few honest individuals among us to handle this situation.
I love Yemen and the Yemeni people. But it is puzzling, to me, how we chant anti-western slogans, yet, when those Western “infidels” give us a donation, it gets stolen or sold before it reaches the intended destination.
I know that our religion and tradition emphasizes honesty. So, where have we gone astray?
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