Why did inequality increase even after several decades of economic development fostered in the post-World War II era by organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank? The sums of money that reached the countries were not as massive as promised. The aid and loans to rebuild received by the economies were indirect in nature. Improving a country's gross national income did not tend to reduce the poverty of the people with low-income in that country. Alleviating urgent problems such as diseases and famines were deemed more important than removing poverty