Just add a little techno-trans music whilst explaining what that means. John Bolton would argue (and has!) that agencies like the WFP that depend on voluntary funding mechanisms as opposed to dues payments tend to be better managed. To be sure, this accomplishment by WFP would seem to bolster that argument. Still, there is a real downside to funding a international relief agencies via donations.
Just two days ago the UN’s Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes reported a $4.8 billion shortfall for humanitarian assistance programs. Though there were no big natural disasters this year, the money that countries were willing to shell out for these assistance programs dropped dramatically amidst an unforeseen global economic crisis. So, while voluntary funding mechanisms can make recipients more receptive to the needs of donors, the downsides to this financing method ought to be recognized as well.