Two new studies by international agencies blame rich Western governments for sending the world’s poorest people into increased poverty and suffering. A new U.N. study reports that more than 100 million people will be dragged below the basic subsistence level of a dollar a day by 2015 as they become ensnared in globalization’s poverty trap. The report rejects claims that globalization is good for the poor, and argues the international trade and economic system is part of the problem, not the solution. Meanwhile, a new study by the International Red Cross and the Red Crescent reports developing countries face increasing danger from natural disasters because of the arrogance and myopic vision of aid donors. The World Disaster Report accuses Western governments of wasting vast amounts on often self-aggrandizing rescue operations in response to disasters that are preventable. The reluctance of donors to finance preventive measures means the number of people affected by disasters is expected to rise sharply. The number of disaster victims has tripled since the 1970s.