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Maldives Economic Aid
Before the 1980s, Maldives received limited assistance
from
certain UN specialized agencies. Much of the external help
came
from Arab oil-producing states, notably Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait, and
the United Arab Emirates, for use on an ad hoc basis
rather than
as part of comprehensive development planning. With local
impetus
in the 1980s from the developmental commitment of the
Gayoom
presidency to raise the standard of living in the outer
islands,
Maldives received an annual average of US$15.5 million in
external assistance in the form of grants and loans. For
example,
in 1988 bilateral donors accounted for approximately 73
percent
of disbursements; the UN, 20 percent; other multilateral
sources,
5 percent; and nongovernmental organizations, about 2
percent.
Foreign aid in 1992 was approximately US$11.6 million
and
came from international agencies such as the World Bank
and the
Asian Development Bank and individual countries,
particularly
Japan--in 1991 Japan was Maldives's largest aid donor.
Other than
humanitarian aid, loans and grants went for such purposes
as
education, health, transportation, fisheries, and harbor
development. As a result of the severe damage caused by
the 1991
monsoon, Maldives received relief aid from India,
Pakistan, the
United States, and a number of other countries.
Data as of August 1994
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