VOA双语新闻：UN：非洲之角两千万人急需救助

　　The U.N. Children's Fund says the lives of a growing number of children in the Horn of Africa are threatened by chronic 1 food insecurity, conflict and political instability.

联合国儿童基金会说，非洲之角越来越多的儿童生命受到长期存在的食品不安全、冲突和政治动荡的威胁。

The U.N. Children's Fund says an all too familiar tragedy is unfolding in the Horn of Africa. It warns an already bad situation for children will only get worse unless the world acts with much greater urgency to provide food and other assistance.

联合国儿童基金会说，非洲之角正在呈现出一幅人们再熟悉不过的悲惨场面。该基金会警告说，如果全世界不采取更加紧急的行动，提供食品和其它援助，非洲之角儿童的境况只会更加糟糕。

It says countries in the region are reeling from a combination of erratic 2 weather patterns, the global economic crisis and intensifying 3 conflict and insecurity. It says piracy 4 and the hijacking 5 of ships off the Somali coast also is adding to the emergency.

联合国儿童基金会说，该地区的国家受到变化无常的天气状况、全球经济危机以及不断加剧的冲突和不安定的多重因素的影响而步履维艰。儿童基金会说，索马里沿海地区的海盗和劫持船只事件也使得该地区儿童的境况更加紧急。

UNICEF spokeswoman, Miranda Eeles, says 19.8-million people, including four-million children under the age of five, are in need of emergency relief assistance.

联合国儿童基金会发言人米兰达.伊莱斯说，非洲之角有1980万人急需紧急救援物资，这些人中包括400万5岁以下的儿童。

"This is a substantial increase over the September 2008 figure of 14 million people requiring assistance," said Eeles. "Over the last few months, there has been a steady increase in the numbers of children suffering from acute malnutrition 6. Data collected from nutrition surveillance and feeding centers indicate growing numbers of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, a condition which if not treated quickly can lead to death."

伊莱斯说：“跟2008年9月需要救助的人数1400万相比，现在的人数有了明显增加。过去几个月，儿童严重营养不良的人数稳步上升。营养监测和供餐中心收集的数据显示，越来越多的儿童严重营养不良，这种情况如果不能迅速得到治疗，就会导致儿童死亡。”

To illustrate 7 the gravity of the situation, UNICEF notes the rates of acute malnutrition in two provinces in Eritrea were above the World Health Organization emergency threshold of 15 percent.

为了说明情况的严重性，联合国儿童基金会特别提到，厄立特里亚两个省儿童严重营养不良的比例高于世界卫生组织规定的15%的紧急标准。

In Ethiopia, it says poor food security and nutrition conditions in some parts of the country may get worse because of the late start of the rains and the approaching hunger gap.

该机构说，埃塞俄比亚一些地区食品安全和营养条件差的局面可能会加剧，原因是那里的雨季推迟和饥荒期即将来临。

In Eastern Kenya, it says a major cholera 8 outbreak caused by poor water and sanitation 9 also is contributing to acute malnutrition and mortality. It says acute rates of malnutrition in both Somalia and Djibouti are beyond the emergency threshold.

在肯尼亚东部，儿童基金会说水质和卫生条件恶劣导致的霍乱大爆发也促成了儿童严重营养不良和死亡。儿童基金会说，索马里和吉布提两个国家儿童营养不良的严重程度都高于世界卫生组织规定的紧急行动标准。

It says lack of safe water and sanitation is putting millions of people at risk from waterborne disease. And, cholera and diarrheal disease outbreaks have been reported throughout the Horn of Africa.

儿童基金会说，缺乏安全饮用水和排水设施让成百上千万的人们很容易感染水传播的疾病。而且，据悉整个非洲之角地区都有霍乱和腹泻等疫情发生。

UNICEF says aid agencies urgently need funds from International donors 10 to carry out their aid programs. The children's agency says it has received less than 10 percent of the $178 million emergency appeal it launched earlier this year.

联合国儿童基金会说，救援机构急需国际捐助国的资金，以便实施他们的援助计划。儿童基金会说，该机构今年初提出1亿7千800万美元的紧急援助计划，目前只收到不到10%的款项。

It warns it will be unable to carry out its humanitarian 11 operations for millions of vulnerable children and women this year if it does not receive this money.

儿童基金会警告说，如果不能收到上述紧急援助计划所需资金，他们就无法对数百万弱势儿童和妇女实施人道主义的救援行动。