VOA慢速英语2017 联合国呼吁为也门筹集21亿美元紧急援助

The United Nations has asked for $2.1 billion to help Yemen where millions of people are caught in a two-year-old civil war.

联合国呼吁各方筹集21亿美元，为两年中遭受内战冲击的千万也门人提供帮助。

A Saudi Arabian-led coalition 1 began bombing in the Middle Eastern country two years ago. The attacks are in support of the Yemeni government as it battles against a group of rebels called Houthis.

两年前以沙特阿拉伯为首的联盟开始对也门这一中东国家发动轰炸。一系列袭击是为了支持也门政府对抗胡塞叛军。

U.N. officials said the air strikes have destroyed bridges, major roads, entire neighborhoods and a port. This has left millions of people without electricity, safe water or food.

联合国官员称，空袭炸毁了当地的桥梁、道路、周边所有设施以及一座港口，使得千万人失去了电力供应、安全的水源和食物。

Stephen O’Brien is the under-secretary-general for humanitarian 2 affairs and emergency relief coordinator 3 for the U.N. He said 18.8 million people, or two-thirds of Yemen’s population, need humanitarian aid.

斯蒂芬·奥布赖恩是联合国负责人道主义事务的副秘书长和紧急救援协调员。他说1880万也门人，或者说三分之二的也门人都需要人道主义援助。

Immense human suffering is unfolding in front of our eyes...7.3 million people do not know where their next meal is coming from.

“庞大的人口在我们眼前受苦，730万人不知道自己的下顿饭在哪儿。”

O’Brien noted 4 that he was shocked at how thin and sick-looking many of the people were when he last visited Yemen a few months ago.

看到许多人都是瘦骨嶙峋，一脸病态，他深深地被震撼了。奥布赖恩说几个月前他最近一次去到也门，

Children and youth were stunted 5 and severely 6 malnourished, barely 7 holding onto their lives. And that was five months ago. Since then, the situation in Yemen has just simply got worse.

“儿童和少年都营养不良，勉强活命。那是五个月前的事。现在也门的状况只会更严重。”

The U.N. humanitarian chief warned that current humanitarian efforts are not enough. He said without immediate 8 action, "famine is now a real possibility for 2017."

这位人道主义事务官员警告说，如今的人道主义援助努力远远不够。他说，若不及时行动，“2017年也门很有可能闹饥荒。”

Jamie McGoldrick has been the U.N.’s humanitarian aid coordinator for Yemen since December 2015. He has watched the situation take place and says Yemeni people must make difficult choices to survive.

杰米.麦戈德里克自2015年12月以来一直是联合国人道主义援助协调员。他一直关注着也门的局势，并表示也门人民要想存活，必须作出艰难的选择。

And so what you have is people having to make life and death decisions. ’Do you feed your child or your children or do you pay for medical treatment for the sick child?’ And that is a daily call for many families.

“人们面临着生与死的抉择。‘你的孩子有吃的吗？你为孩子花钱治病了吗？’那是许多家庭每天都要面临的问题。”

Historically, Yemen has been one of the poorest countries in the world. McGoldrick said the two-year-long civil war has weakened the country’s communities. He said people had so little money they were unable to pay to travel to feeding centers or hospitals where they could find help.

历史上，也门一直是世界上最贫困的国家之一。麦戈德里克说两年内战已经削弱了也门社会。他说人们没有钱去营养中心或医院寻求帮助。

The U.N. official said about 7,500 people have been killed and 40,000 injured since the war began. He added that these numbers cannot be confirmed because "people die at home and are buried before they are ever recorded."

这名联合国官员称自内战开始，已有7500人死亡，4万人受伤。他还补充道，这一数字不能得到证实，因为“在统计前人们就死于家中而被埋葬”。

Words in This Story

air strike(s) – n. an attack in which military airplanes drop bombs

neighborhood(s) – n. a section of a town or city

humanitarian – adj. related to to making other people's lives better

relief – n. things such as food, money, or medicine that are given to help people who are victims of a war or natural disasters

coordinator – n. a person who organizes people or groups so that they work together properly and well

stunted – adj. stopped from growing or developing