ABSTRACT
Competition for influence has remained important since the Cold War, if with more emphasis on measuring developmental outcomes of official development assistance (ODA). The degree of economic development, then, may be a function of how strong the desire is of state powerholders that such progress be achieved. The origins of ‘aid’ can be traced to the colonial period, when young colonies required financial support from their mother countries, often in order to survive their first fragile years. The origins of ‘aid’ as it is currently understood began as World War II was still raging, albeit not long before the end of the war. Colonial powers began to look towards the post-war environment, with economic planning and cooperation to be brought under the umbrella of two sets of organisations. Humanitarian and emergency assistance is a form of aid intended to alleviate immediate suffering and tackle short-term emergency needs, usually in response to a natural disaster or man-made crisis.
