Letter to the editor: Foreign aid is important to Pa.

The covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing inflation reminded us of the interconnected nature of global markets; one action a continent away can have effects on jobs, prices and shipping here. For this reason, foreign aid is more important than ever, especially for Pennsylvanians.

Foreign aid can be broad in its type and scale, but typically includes measures to reduce suffering and build up long-term infrastructure in the developing world. Items such as food, health care and educational provisions help reduce poverty on the ground but also present a dividend to the Pennsylvanian economy.

By supporting the developing world, more consumer bases are created for international trade, which ends up benefiting the numerous Pennsylvanians who participate in the global economy. International trade supported roughly 1.6 million Pennsylvanian jobs, or about one in five, before the pandemic. The trade representative reports that 89% of Pennsylvania companies that do internationally export are small or medium-sized businesses, making up 32% of the total export amount of $41.8 billion. By giving aid to Brazzaville today, in the future, they will be in the position to be able to ask for York dairy or Altoona metal.

Patrick Alexander

O’Hara