Are foreign aids effective? Are they really helpful? Why? What are its advantages and disadvantages?

it depends what kind of aid you mean.if this aid is consisting in giving money governments of third world ,then its just a waste of time,they are all corrupted.if you wanna help them,then you should make investments in those states.if you ment humanitarian aid for people in need,then be sure that's the best think you could possibly do.refuges of war,or displaced people from natural catastrophes have big needs for every kind of aid you can think.myself i was refuge of war,i know what i am talking about.until i became refuge(only for 3 months),i always laugh when old ladies collected clothes or even food for people in need ,i thought they over react and that nobody needs that kind of aid,and unfortunately i realize how much i was wrong.

Please define the measurement of "effective" and "helpful". They do give people a chance to exercise their wishes to "help" non-US organizations. However, there should be some guidelines about the OVERHEAD expenses. For example, is it reasonable to use allocated foreign aid money to buy food for starving children? How about using that money to buy global satellite Nokia (humm... why did I mention that?) phones or staying at four-star hotels in Germany.
Sure they are effective to make the politicians of the country getting the aid richer. The disadvantages is little to none trickles down to the poor people it was intended for.
BEING A FOREIGNER, NO IT'S NOT. IT ONLY FURTHER ENRICHES THE ALREADY RICH WHEREAS THE POOR CONTINUE TO SUFFER LIKE THERE'S NO HELP. SUCH AS WORLD VISION AND ALL THESE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. IF YOU'RE NOT OUT THERE TO DO THE JOB THEN DON'T SEND THE AID BECAUSE IT NEVER GETS TO THOSE IT'S INTENDED FOR. I WAS A WORLD VISION CHILD AND NEVER GOT THE AID MY SPONSORS WERE SENDING SO I FEEL SORRY FOR ANYONE OUT THERE EXPECTING AID FROM ANY BODY. FOR THOSE OF YOU SACRIFICING, THANK YOU BUT THINK TWICE ABOUT WHERE YOUR MONEY REALLY GOES! I CALLED WORLD VISION FOR AN EXPLANATION ON WHY I WASN'T GETTING THE AID FROM MY SPONSORS AND NOBODY WANTED TO TALK TO ME.