Speaking of: : International Relief

As the need for assistance grows ever greater, so do the the demands placed on the world’s donor nations, including the United States. But in these hard economic times, more of the burden is being transferred to private, nonprofit groups.

From America, With Love

The largest private, nonprofit aid groups based in the United States--as measured by dollar value of aid distributed--represent a cross section of social, religious and philanthropic organizations providing a variety of services. They are:

Agency: CARE Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 429.3 Major programs: Agriculture and natural resources, emergency relief, health and nutrition, population, small business support

*

Agency: World Vision Inc. Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 249.1 Major programs: Food production and agriculture, child sponsorship, development education, disaster and emergency relief, enterprise development and credit loans, material aid, natural resource management, public health, nutrition and child survival

*

Agency: Christian Children’s Fund Inc. Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 105.0 Major programs: Community development, construction, cooperatives and credit unions, education, food production and agriculture, medicine and public health, nutrition, population and family planning services, social welfare

*

Agency: Save the Children Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 94.3 Major programs: Food production and agriculture, community development, construction, cooperatives and credit loans, education, enterprise development and management, medicine and public health

*

Agency: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 83.2 Major programs: Community development, education, international development, material aid, migration and refugee services, social welfare

*

Agency: World Wildlife Fund/The Conservation Foundation Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 56.6 Major programs: Community development, education, environment and natural resource management, institutional and human resource development, public policy and advocacy

*

Agency: World Learning Inc. (formerly called Experiment in International Living) Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 50.1 Major programs: Citizen exchange and language programs, education, social welfare, human resource development and management assistance

*

Agency:Church World Service Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 52.8 Major programs: Community development, cooperatives and credit loans, development education, disaster and emergency relief, education, enterprise development and management, food production and agriculture, material aid, medicine and public health, migration and refugee services, population and family planning services, social welfare

*

Agency: Adventist Development and Relief Agency International Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 36.1 (1991 figure) Major programs: Community development, construction, education, food production and agriculture, emergency relief and material aid, medicine and public health, nutrition, social welfare

*

Agency: Oxfam America Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 12.7 Major programs: Food production and agriculture, community development, development education, disaster and emergency relief, education, material aid, medicine and public health, public policy and advocacy, women in development

*

Agency: The Episcopal Church of the USA - The Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief Amount Spent 1992 (In millions): 6.0 Major programs: Refugee services, grants distribution

SOURCE: Compiled from the membership of InterAction, a Washington-based coalition of U.S. private and voluntary organizations. Excluded from the list are agencies’ domestic expenditures and “pass through” funds. Also excluded are groups that primarily aid a single country.

Where Does the Money Go?

Here are countries where the largest U.S.-based aid organizations have programs in place. Many groups also provide emergency assistance when the need arises.

categories: I- 4 or 5 agencies with programs in these countries

II- 6 or 7 agencies with programs in these countries

III- 8 or 9 agencies with programs in these countries

IV- 10 or more agencies with programs in these countries

* Caribbean

Dominican Republic -- III

Haiti -- III

Jamaica -- I * Central America

Costa Rica -- III

El Salvador -- III

Guatemala -- IV

Honduras -- III

Mexico -- III

Nicaragua -- III

Panama -- II * Europe

Greece: -- I

Hungary -- I

Poland -- I * Middle East

Israel -- II

Jordan -- II

* South America

Argentina -- II

Bolivia -- IV

Brazil -- III

Chile -- II

Colombia --II

Ecuador -- III

Paraguay -- I

Peru -- III

Uruguay -- I

* North America

United States -- II

* North Africa

Egypt -- I

Morocco -- I

* East Asia

China -- II

Korea -- II

* South Asia

Afghanistan -- I

Bangladesh -- II

India -- IV

Nepal -- III

Pakistan -- II

Sri Lanka -- I

* Southeast Asia

Myanmar (Burma) -- II

Cambodia -- II

Indonesia -- III

Laos -- I

Papua New Guinea -- I

Philippines -- IV

Thailand -- III

Vietnam -- III

* Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola -- I

Botswana -- I

Cameroon -- I

Ethiopia -- IV

Gambia -- I

Kenya -- II

Lesotho -- I

Liberia -- I

Madagascar -- II

Malawi -- II

Mali -- II

Mozambique -- II

Nigeria -- I

Senegal -- I

Sierra Leone -- II

South Africa -- I

Somalia -- I

Sudan -- I

Tanzania -- II

Uganda -- II

Zaire -- I

Zambia -- II

Zimbabwe -- IV

SOURCE: InterAction: Member Profiles 1993

A WORLD OF CARING

The U.S. private sector is a very generous source of relief and development aid for the world’s needy, but it is not alone. A sampling of agencies and organizations outside the United States involved in relief and aid:

Organization: International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Country: Switzerland Estimated yearly budget: $175 mil Coordinates national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies representing more than 250 million people. Conducts international disaster relief; provides care for refugees outside conflict areas; promotes community health and blood supply; conducts research and educational programs.

*

Organization: International Relief Service of Caritas Catholica Country: Belgium Estimated yearly budget: $180 mil Provides disaster assistance and financial support of food, medical and socio-pastoral projects in Third World countries.

Organization: Oxfam Country: England Estimated yearly budget: $104.3 mil Provides food and shelter to people in emergency situations; assists people in their efforts to gain economic self-sufficiency. Contends that the world’s material resources can, if equitably distributed, satisfy the basic needs of all people. There are numerous national branches, including one in the United States.

*

Organization: Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders-French Branch) Country: France Estimated yearly budget: $57 mil Provides medical assistance to victims of war or natural disasters. There are five autonomous national branches of this organization, the French branch being the largest and most well known.

*

Organization: German Medical Welfare Organization, Action Medeor Country: Germany Estimated yearly budget: $10.5 mil Works to combat poverty and illness in underdeveloped nations through the distribution of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and information to 7,500 medical stations in 120 countries.

*

Organization: Outstretched Hands Country: Italy Estimated yearly budget: $3.8 mil Sponsors social programs in developing countries; informs the public of problems faced by such countries.

*

Organization: Australian Baptist World Aid and Relief Committee Country: Australia Estimated yearly budget: $2.07 mil Seeks to improve quality of life in Third World countries through development projects; provides aid and relief to individuals and communities in need.

Compiled by Times researcher KEVIN FOX