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APLONDON (AP) - Three Nordic countries have the world's best humanitarian aid practices, according to a new ranking unveiled Thursday by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
The Humanitarian Response Index gave Sweden, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands the top four spots, while the United States ranked a distant 16th. The index, compiled by Madrid-based Development Assistance Research Associates, is intended to increase transparency among donors _ so that the money can deliver better results.
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The organization called Sweden a model donor because it led in several categories, including giving in crises that receive less media coverage, such as conflicts in Congo and Haiti.
The United States was praised for supporting accountability in humanitarian action and encouraging evaluations of how its donations are being used. But the organization said in surveys of recipient countries, the United States received some of the lowest rankings for respect for basic humanitarian principles: alleviation of suffering, impartiality, neutrality and independence.
The rankings were: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, European Commission, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Finland, Luxembourg, Germany, Australia, Belgium, United States, Spain, Japan, France, Austria, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
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