New York Times Editorial Calls For Wealthy Countries To Keep Promises To Help The World's Poorest

Regardless of the current economic crisis, "developed countries must not overlook the particular vulnerability of the world’s poor," a New York Times editorial says, pointing to a recent WHO health statistics survey that found many developing countries are falling short of the U.N. Millennium Development Goals.

While the report "underscores some undeniable accomplishments," it also "shows that far too many people are still dying of preventable causes in the poorest countries," according to the editorial. "The problem is lack of resources," says the editorial, which notes that last year "development aid from all of the rich countries rose more than 10 percent in 2008, to $120 billion. Still, that aid is short of the declared goal of $145 billion a year by 2010." The editorial concludes, "Wealthy countries promised nearly a decade ago to help the world’s poorest to emerge from the deepest poverty. This is the wrong time to stop" (New York Times, 5/30).