October 11, 2007

The High Costs of Conflict in Africa

The amount of international aid granted to Africa in the 15 years prior to 2005 equaled the cost of conflict on the continent, according to a report conducted by three nongovernmental agencies.

The study found that 23 countries in Africa were involved in some form of conflict during that time, and that the cost of these conflicts was $284 billion.

"This is equal to the amount of money received in international aid during the same period," said the report, a joint initiative of Oxfam International, the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and Saferworld.

The report said that the money spent on armed conflict could be used to tackle problems like HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and a lack of clean water in Africa.

"At this critical time for reaching agreement on tough international controls on the arms trade ... it is essential that all governments understand the economic costs of armed violence and the impact that cost has had on development," said Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the report’s foreword.