美国削减对中美洲的援助可能会适得其反，导致增加移民

US Aid Cuts to Central America May Backfire, Increase Migration¹ North

Aid groups have criticized the United States for its decision to cut assistance to three Central American nations. They warned this week that the decision is likely to backfire.

The charities added that they believe it will increase the numbers of Central Americans moving north toward the U.S. border to escape violence and poverty.

The U.S. State Department announced last weekend it would end foreign aid to programs in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras -- three countries known as the Northern Triangle.

President Donald Trump² has said repeatedly that he planned to suspend the aid. He criticized the three for doing little to stop the movement of migrants and asylum³ seekers, many of whom want to live in the United States.

Charities receive money from the U.S. government to assist with economic and social development in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The groups say aid cuts will not stop the migrants and may make the situation worse.

"The people who are really going to get hurt by this are the people who are … small farmers and teenagers trying to avoid the pressures of joining gangs and escape violence," said David Ray. He is with the international aid group CARE.

"Poverty, violence and insecurity - those are exactly the drivers of migration. (It) seems to be self-defeating," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The United States provides hundreds of millions of dollars every year for aid projects in the Northern Triangle. U.S. aid to Central America dropped to $527.6 million this year from $655 million in 2017. Those numbers come from the Washington Office on Latin America, a research group.

Trump's idea to reduce aid to the Northern Triangle could add to migration north as the situation in their countries worsens, experts said.

"He is concerned about border security," said Robert Zachritz. He is vice⁴ president for advocacy and government relations at the charity World Vision. "(This move) is counterproductive," he added.

World Vision usually receives about $127 million in U.S. government money for Northern Triangle projects.

CARE would have to greatly reduce efforts in the area, including a project that helps poor farmers in Guatemala.

Battle Ahead

Reducing aid is likely to meet strong opposition⁵ in the U.S. Congress.

To make changes, lawmakers must approve Trump's plan to change spending bills already passed. To get congressional approval, the Trump administration must make an official request explaining its plan for removing the aid money from the budget.

"It is Congress that decides on how much foreign assistance the U.S. is going to provide," said Adriana Beltran. She is head of WOLA's Citizen Security Program and a Central America expert.

She added that because Congress controls all the money, there will be a fight between it and the Trump Administration.

Rick Jones works as an advisor⁶ for Catholic Relief Services. Last year, the group planned projects in the Northern Triangle with the help of $34.4 million in U.S. government money. It also said a reduction of aid will increase migration.

It “is morally wrong and is counterproductive," Jones said.

One of its endangered projects provides training and jobs to more than 5,000 young people in poor, violent communities in Honduras and El Salvador, he said.

Vicki Gass is a senior policy advisor at Oxfam, a British aid organization that does not receive U.S. money. She said a reduction in aid will create “greater instability” that will lead to more migration. She said that if aid groups don’t work to stop the causes of problems such as violence and poverty, they will just get worse and lead to even greater numbers of migrants.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in this Story

backfire – v. to have the opposite result of what was desired or expected

triangle – n. a shape that is made up of three lines and three an

gang – n. a group of criminals; a group of young people

counterproductive – adj. not helpful; making the thing you want to happen less likely to happen

instability – n. the state of being likely to change

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

3 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。