BBC Four in emergency aid insight specials

BBC Four is to broadcast two programmes exploring the history of emergency aid and the current challenges facing the fundraising and distribution of disaster relief.

Richard Klein, Controller, BBC Four, says, “It is clear that through the years the aid industry has had a positive impact and saved millions of lives. Whenever there is an international disaster, our natural instinct is to pour money into the problem. But in an increasingly complex world it is valid to ask if emergency aid is always as effective as it could be.
“This thoughtful film brings together some of the most influential figures in emergency aid – past and present – to explore what can – and sometimes does – go wrong in emergency aid.”

From the Biafran War to the Ethiopian famine and the relationship between aid and politics in Afghanistan, the film explores the moral and political dilemmas that aid workers faced as their attempts to help were often compromised or undermined. Offering a rare glimpse at life on the ground in a disaster zone, The Trouble With Aid features interviews with former aid workers from Oxfam, MSF, Save the Children – among others – who address a common question: can emergency aid sometimes do more harm than good?
Following the film will be The Trouble With Aid: The Debate. Featuring a panel of disaster relief experts, the debate will further explore these dilemmas and consider what emergency aid means in the 21st century.
The Trouble With Aid and The Trouble With Aid: The Debate will air on BBC Four from 9pm, Sunday 9th December.