Editing Political corruption (section)

===Environmental and social effects===
{{Further|Human impact on the environment}}
[[File:Corrupt-Legislation-Vedder-Highsmith-detail-1.jpeg|thumb|upright=1.35|Detail from ''Corrupt Legislation'' (1896) by [[Elihu Vedder]]. Library of Congress [[Thomas Jefferson Building]], Washington, D.C.]]
Corruption is often most evident in countries with the smallest per capita incomes, relying on foreign aid for health services. Local political interception of donated money from overseas is especially prevalent in [[Sub-Saharan Africa]]n nations, where it was reported in the 2006 [[World Bank|World Bank Report]] that about half of the funds that were donated for health usages were never invested into the health sectors or given to those needing medical attention.<ref name="jstor.org">{{cite journal|jstor=20032209|journal=Foreign Affairs|volume=86|issue=1|pages=14–38|last1=Garrett|first1=Laurie|title=The Challenge of Global Health|year=2007}}</ref> Instead, the donated money was expended through "[[Counterfeit medications|counterfeit drugs]], siphoning off of drugs to the black market, and payments to ghost employees". Ultimately, there is a sufficient amount of money for health in developing countries, but local corruption denies the wider citizenry the resource they require.<ref name="jstor.org" />

Corruption facilitates environmental destruction. While corrupt societies may have formal legislation to protect the environment, it cannot be enforced if officials can easily be bribed. The same applies to social rights worker protection, [[Trade union|unionization]] prevention, and [[child labor]]. Violation of these laws rights enables corrupt countries to gain illegitimate economic advantage in the international market. The [[Nobel Prize]]-winning economist [[Amartya Sen]] has observed that "there is no such thing as an apolitical food problem." While drought and other naturally occurring events may trigger [[famine]] conditions, it is government action or inaction that determines its severity, and often even whether or not a famine will occur.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/2007/08/15/wipro-tata-corruption-ent-law-cx_kw_0814whartonindia.html|title=Will Growth Slow Corruption In India?|magazine=Forbes | date=2007-08-15}}</ref>

Governments with strong tendencies towards [[kleptocracy]] can undermine [[food security]] even when harvests are good. Officials often steal state property. In [[Bihar]], [[India]], more than 80% of the subsidized food aid to poor is stolen by corrupt officials.<ref name="Forbes"/> Similarly, food aid is often robbed at gunpoint by governments, criminals, and warlords alike, and sold for a profit. The 20th century is full of many examples of governments undermining the food security of their own nations – sometimes intentionally.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sheeter |first=Laura |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7111296.stm |title=Ukraine remembers famine horror |work=BBC News |date=2007-11-24 |access-date=2009-12-05}}</ref>