Giving Humanitarian Aid

There are unfortunately many countries around the world in great need of assistance.

The citizens of these nations suffer due to natural disasters, extreme poverty, and other grim conditions.

To help these struggling nations, developed countries are often asked to send humanitarian aid.

Sending help to people who need it should be a simple decision to make.

However, things often get complicated due to politics.

For example, there may be political tension between countries that want to help and those that need help.

Also, some of the nations in need are ruled by authoritarian governments.

Some people believe that humanitarian aid should be given no matter what.

They say that in times of emergency, governments should be able to put aside political differences.

The focus should be on helping the people in need and saving lives, they say.

Also, these people argue that humanitarian aid can help to ease political tensions.

Countries in need will feel gratitude for having received help during their times of trouble.

Seeing such altruistic acts take place, they may become moved to reciprocate by making political concessions.

Other people disagree with this assessment.

They believe that if a country is ruled by a dictatorship, there is no guarantee that the humanitarian aid will be used as it was intended.

In other words, very little of the food and money may go to the people that actually need them.

Furthermore, these people argue that continuing to send humanitarian aid could actually worsen political situations.

The governments of these struggling countries would continue to expect food and money from developed nations, with no strings attached.

This would only support theses problematic governments and help to keep them in power, the critics say.

 

• Humanitarian  hjuː|mænɪ│teriən  인도주의적인, 인도주의의

• Aid  eɪd   원조, 지원 (→financial aid, legal aid)

• grim  ɡrɪm  (보기나 듣기에 아주) 엄숙한[단호한] ,  암울한 ,  음침한, 음산한

• authoritarian   ə|θɔːrə│teriən   권위주의적인, 독재적인   authority  ə|θɔːrəti  지휘권 ,  권한 

• no matter what  비록 무엇이 ~한다 하더라도

• put ... aside   …을 한쪽으로 치우다, 제거하다 /  (후일을 위해서) …을 저축하다, [시간]을 비워두다

• ease  iːz   쉬움, 용이함, 편의성 ,  (근심걱정 없이) 편안함, 안락함 /  편해지다[편하게 해 주다], (고통불편 등이[을]) 덜해지다[덜어 주다] (=alleviate)

• gratitude  |ɡrætɪtuːd  마움, 감사, 사의 (↔ingratitude) 

• altruistic  æ̀ltru:ístik  이타적인(opp. egoistic, selfish)

• reciprocate  rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt   (어떤 사람에게서 받는 것과 비슷한 행동·감정으로) 화답[응답]하다 /  왕복 운동을 하다

• reciprocal  rɪˈsɪprəkl  상호간의

• concession  kənˈseʃn   (언쟁을 끝내거나 상황을 개선하기 위한) 양보[양해] (→concede)

• become moved to   ~ 로 옮겨지다

• assessment  əˈsesmənt  평가(한 의견), (=evaluation)  평가 (행위) (→continuous assessment)

• dictatorship  |dɪk│tərʃɪp   독재 정부 /  독재 국가

• intend  ɪnˈtend   의도[작정]하다, (…하려고) 생각하다 /   의미[뜻]하다 (=mean)

• with no strings attached   아무런 조건 없이, 무조건으로, 

• problematic  |prɑːblə│mætɪk  문제가 있는[많은] (↔unproblematic)