Tracing Timor's aid

AlJazeeraEnglish
September 07, 2009
A decade after East Timor won its independence from Indonesia, a new report says less than 10 per cent of the estimated $8.8bn spent on international aid and assistance for the fledgling nation has reached the East Timorese economy.

The report by the East Timor-based La'o Hamutuk research institute says most of the money has been spent on security, UN salaries and fees to international consultants.

It says that despite international spending equivalent to about $8,000 dollars for each of East Timor's 1.1 million people, nearly half of the population still live below the poverty line.