美国有线新闻 CNN 非洲多国面临饥荒 联合国急需44亿美元援助资金

 

An urgent warning from the United Nations leads off today's show.

The organization's humanitarian¹ coordinator² says more than 20 million people are threatened by famine and starvation. They're concentrated at four countries, the African nations of Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan, and the Middle Eastern nation of Yemen. The U.N. says this constitutes the world's greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945, when the U.N. was founded.

What are these countries have in common? Conflict.

In Nigeria, it's the fighting against the Boko Haram terrorist group, combined with potential famine that has devastated³ parts of the country.

In South Sudan, fighting between government troops and armed groups, combined with a famine, have left more than 40 percent of the population in need of food, farming help and nutrition.

In Somalia, attacks by the Islamic militant⁴ group al Shabaab, plus a worsening drought are taking their toll⁵ and in Yemen, a two year old civil war has left roads blocked, reduced imports, left markets damaged and left millions hungry.

So, what can be done about this?

The United Nations wants funding, $4.4 billion by this summer that would go toward fighting hunger and disease in these countries.

1 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。

2 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

3 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 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。