ChildFund International Urges Administration to Reconsider Cuts in Foreign Assistance to Northern Triangle Countries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2019

ChildFund International Urges Administration to Reconsider Cuts in Foreign Assistance to Northern Triangle Countries

Richmond, Va. – ChildFund International expresses deep concern at the administration’s reductions in foreign assistance to the Northern Triangle (El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala). On Monday, the State Department officially announced details of massive cuts in foreign assistance to the region, including $185 million from FY2017 funding and approximately $370 million allocated in FY2018.

Since 1964, ChildFund International has provided access to protection, education and health services to assist children in the deeply impoverished and unstable Northern Triangle region, from which increased numbers of people have been migrating to the U.S. in recent months.

According to surveys by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on violence against children, both boys and girls in Honduras and El Salvador experience unacceptably high levels of physical and sexual violence. Northern Triangle countries are also home to some of the highest murder rates in the world.

“Without the support of U.S. funding, children and young people who need real services to help protect and guide them will lose their lifelines,” said Anne Lynam Goddard, CEO of ChildFund International.

Dangerous levels of violence and threat are driving families to make the risky journey from Northern Triangle countries. Reducing U.S. assistance to the region will only exacerbate this situation, leading to disastrous results for children, families and communities.

“Now is the time for targeted, effective aid that will improve the lives of vulnerable children and families and make them safe and secure in the communities they know and love,” said ChildFund’s Americas regional director, Mario Lima.

ChildFund reaches children in Honduras through projects in violence reduction, economic development, education, psychosocial support and various in-kind donations. U.S. government funding supported initiatives that trained more than 2,200 parents in violence mitigation tactics, prepared 265 teachers to promote peaceful learning environments and supported 36 schools in high-risk urban areas to develop violence prevention plans; results included a 56% reduction in violent incidents at school.

“ChildFund’s goal is to strengthen communities by instilling a spirit of support and safety so that young people can thrive wherever they are,” Goddard said. “By investing in children today, we all help create a world where future generations will benefit and prosper. We ask the administration to reconsider its policy and to consider how targeted foreign assistance can reduce irregular migration and support communities that become places where children and families want to stay.”

¹  https://www.togetherforgirls.org/wp-content/uploads/2019-4-29-ENG-TfG-Honduras-2.pdf; https://bettercarenetwork.org/sites/default/files/2019-4-29-ENG-TfG-EL-Salvador-1_0.pdf

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ChildFund International partners with communities throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas — including the United States – to create lasting, positive change for children. Our programs address the underlying conditions that prevent children and youth from achieving their full potential. Last year, we reached 10.5 million children and family members. Approximately 200,000 Americans support our work by sponsoring individual children or investing in ChildFund programs. Find out more at www.ChildFund.org.