Its not because of corrupt governments (okay some of it is) but the vast vast vast majority of the problem is that the people trying to help do not understand economics.    We ship food, we ship mosquito nets and medicine to these poor places. But how do the locals compete with a product that is free? If I want to manufacture mosquito nets and sell them, who will buy my product when they are being given out for free? If I'm a farmer, how do I sell my crop, when the market is being flooded with free food? We are putting locals out of business. We are creating welfare dependents and then, most insidiously, we change the amount being given year by year. We destroy industries and then cut aid a few years later leaving people to starve and die of malaria.    If we wanted to actually help, we would build industries in those places and create jobs so that they can support themselves instead of being reliant on aid. If anyone who reads this wants to help poorer countries, groups together microloans for 3rd world countries. It helps far more than throwing free goods and services at them, and the majority of loans are repaid so your donation (loan) is very likely to get returned to you so you can loan it again.