This article analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on foreign aid. Using examples from Canadian foreign aid, it argues that, despite the terrible toll it is exacting, the crisis has accelerated some significant positive pre-existing trends, both by destabilizing the perception of aid as flowing essentially from the Global North to Global South and by reinforcing awareness of the importance of joint efforts for global public goods and humanitarian assistance, as well as debt relief. However, it has also reinforced potentially harmful self-interested justifications for aid, which could align assistance more with donors’ priorities than the needs of the poor. An important trend reversal is the renewed emphasis on well-being. Two other crucial trends remain unclear—the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on multilateral approaches and on aid flows. How donors respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath over the next few years will depend on their political will, and will profoundly shape the future of development co-operation.

本文分析了COVID-19大流行对外国援助的影响。它以加拿大外援的例子为依据，认为尽管造成了严重的后果，但这场危机加速了已有的一些积极的积极趋势，既破坏了人们对援助从全球北部流向全球南部的认识，也使人们对援助的认识不稳定。增强人们对共同努力对全球公益和人道主义援助以及减免债务的重要性的认识。但是，它也加强了潜在有害的自私自利的援助理由，这可能使援助更符合捐助者的优先事项，而不是穷人的需求。一个重要的趋势逆转是对幸福感的重新强调。尚不清楚另外两个关键趋势-COVID-19大流行对多边方法和援助流量的影响。