美国向沙特联军供应武器

 　　The United States says it is speeding up weapons deliveries to the Saudi-led coalition¹ battling Houthi fighters in Yemen.

　　U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Americans also "have established a joint² coordination³ planning cell in the Saudi operation center,” as part of the effort to oust⁴ the Houthis, Shi’ite militants⁵ backed by neighboring Iran.

　　"Saudi Arabia is sending a strong message to the Houthis and their allies that they cannot overrun Yemen by force,'' Blinken told reporters in the Saudi capital Riyadh, according to the Reuters news agency.

　　"As part of that effort, we have expedited weapons deliveries, we have increased our intelligence sharing" and set up the planning cell, he said.

　　US to Expedite Arms Supplies to Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen

　　Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren confirmed Tuesday the U.S. is looking to deliver munitions⁶ to its allies involved in the Yemen air campaign.

　　"It's a combination of pre-existing orders made by our partner nations and some new requirements as they expend⁷ munitions," Warren said.

　　On Tuesday, Saudi-led coalition jets bombed a military installation in southern Yemen as local tribes battled with forces loyal to the Shi'ite rebels in the area, forcing them out and seizing their makeshift camp and weapons, military officials said.

　　But militants with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula reportedly took control of a border crossing in Yemen's Hadramawt province on Tuesday.

　　The U.S. was "very closely" watching such reports, Warren said. The U.S. is "always concerned by AQAP's activities," he added, but "we have the capability⁸ to conduct unilateral CT [counterterrorism] operations" in Yemen.

　　UNICEF cites civilian⁹ toll¹⁰

　　The fighting in southern Ibb province came as UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, said the conflict has displaced about 100,000 people in Yemen, increasing pressure on hospitals and other services.

　　Saying such internal displacement¹¹ endangers children's health and interrupts their education, UNICEF has called for special attention and protection for children and their families, in line with international humanitarian¹² law.

　　The agency said at least 74 children have been killed and 44 wounded since March 26, when the air campaign began.

　　A medical volunteer in Ibb's Maytam district said the airstrike on a Republican Guards camp wounded at least 25 military men. The rebel television station, al-Masirah, reported three children also were killed in a school near the camp. The volunteer, who asked to remain anonymous¹³ out of fear of reprisal¹⁴, could not verify the deaths.

　　The military unit supports Ali Abdullah Saleh, the former president allied¹⁵ with the Shi'ite rebels in their bid to grab power in Yemen. His successor is the Western-backed president, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who on March 25 fled Yemen's provisional capital, the port city of Aden, for refuge in Saudi Arabia.

　　The Saudi coalition so far has been unable to stop the rebels' advance.

　　About 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the military camp, local tribes battled with rebel fighters who had set up a makeshift camp in the area, driving the rebels away and seizing their weapons, said a local resident said, who also asked not to be identified for security reasons.

　　Youngsters suffering

　　Civilians¹⁶ have suffered amid the violence that mushroomed from an internal power struggle into a regional war drawing in neighboring Saudi Arabia and its allies.

　　According to the World Health Organization, more than 540 people have been killed and 1,700 wounded in the fighting in Yemen over the past three weeks.

　　Children have been especially vulnerable, said Julien Harneis, UNICEF's Yemen representative.

　　"They are being killed, maimed and forced to flee their homes, their health threatened and their education interrupted," Harneis said in a statement released Monday in Amman, Jordan. Warring factions¹⁷ also have increased recruitment of troops under age 18.

　　Red Cross aid arriving

　　The International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday its first flight transporting medical personnel to Yemen has reached the capital, Sana'a.

　　Dominik Stillhart, a senior Red Cross official, noted¹⁸ the arrival in a Twitter post and said tons of urgently needed medical supplies will arrive by air and sea once transportation is cleared.

　　The Red Cross said Monday that, while it had received the Saudi-led coalition's approval, logistical concerns about flying into the war-torn country were delaying the process.

　　Humanitarian groups say they are running out of supplies. They have called for a temporary halt to the fighting so medical teams and fresh medical supplies can arrive in the country and residents can identify and bury their dead.

　　UNICEF said the violence has disrupted water supplies in areas of southern Yemen and sewage is overflowing¹⁹ in some locations, raising the risk of disease outbreak. Water systems have been repeatedly damaged in Aden and two other areas, UNICEF said, adding it's providing fuel for water pumps.

　　Pitched battle for Aden

　　On Monday, rebels and their allies made their strongest push yet to seize control of Aden, a main stronghold of Hadi's supporters. Intense clashes left many bodies in the streets.

　　The fighting raised doubts over the possibility of landing ground forces from the Saudi-led coalition to carve out a secure enclave for Hadi, who fled the country two weeks ago.

　　"Conditions are very dangerous right now," UNICEF's Gamila Hibatullah in Aden was quoted as saying. "Hospitals are overflowing, and even ambulances have been hijacked²⁰."

　　'China is deeply worried'

　　On Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry²¹ added its support to calls for a cease-fire in Yemen, after Russia and the Red Cross appealed for a military pause to allow humanitarian aid deliveries and the evacuation of civilians last week.

　　"China is deeply worried" and seeks a cease-fire to "avoid further civilian casualties," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing in Beijing.

　　"China also hopes that all relevant sides can earnestly implement²² relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and Gulf²³ Cooperation Council proposals and resolve the crisis through political dialog so as to quickly restore Yemen's stability and normal legal order,” Hua said.

　　China, a low-key diplomatic player in the Middle East despite its reliance on oil from the region, previously²⁴ had called for a political solution.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

4 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 munitions   

n.军火，弹药；v.供应…军需品

参考例句：

• The army used precision-guided munitions to blow up enemy targets.军队用精确瞄准的枪炮炸掉敌方目标。
• He rose [made a career for himself] by dealing in munitions.他是靠贩卖军火发迹的。

7 expend   

vt.花费，消费，消耗

参考例句：

• Don't expend all your time on such a useless job.不要把时间消耗在这种无用的工作上。
• They expend all their strength in trying to climb out.他们费尽全力想爬出来。

8 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

9 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

10 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

11 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

12 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

13 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

14 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

15 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

16 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

17 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

20 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

21 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

22 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

23 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

24 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。