美国国家公共电台 NPR--Amid multiple crises, people in Haiti receive very little assistance

Amid multiple crises, people in Haiti receive very little assistance

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Miami Herald² reporter Jacqueline Charles about the ongoing³ challenges facing the nation of Haiti. Aid groups have been quietly pulling out of the country.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The Haitian government's requests for an international armed force to help restore security has gone unanswered. Violent gangs are kidnapping, raping⁴ and killing⁵ people. And cholera⁶ is spreading as many Haitians are facing starvation. In January, there will be more political uncertainty⁷, as there will be no elected lawmakers sitting in the country's Senate. The Miami Herald's Jacqueline Charles spoke⁸ to our co-host Leila Fadel about the situation in Haiti.

JACQUELINE CHARLES: It's very difficult. Close to half the population right now does not have enough to eat. And there are about 20,000 people facing famine-like conditions. You know, you're talking about 34% of schools that are still closed, over 100,000 people that have been displaced out of their home over the past year. And, of course, with cholera, they suspect that they've reached 15,000 cases throughout the country's, you know, 10 regional departments.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

What you're describing is so devastating⁹. And then because of the gang violence, a lot of international aid organizations have also left the country. So what support do people in Haiti who need help have?

CHARLES: They have very little help. And you're right. A number of international aid organizations - they have left. They've been leaving quietly for some time now. Groups, you know, from South Florida, for instance, that used to travel down there, elsewhere around the country to help children with heart problems or other ailments¹⁰ - they haven't been able to take any of these medical groups there. So, really, you know, you're talking about a population that really has been left to fend¹¹ for itself. And - you know, and let's be clear, this whole issue of foreign assistance - it triggers, you know, a lot of emotion for some people.

FADEL: Yeah.

CHARLES: There are some individuals who say, no way. You know, we don't want it. You know, you ask the Haitian, do you want a foreign occupation.

FADEL: Because of the history of foreign intervention¹².

CHARLES: Exactly. You know, but at the same time, when you talk to that mother who is worried about her child - and does she sent her child out into the streets? And - because she's not sure if that child is going to come back. Or does she herself take the risk? But you don't know, you know, are you going to make it back home alive?

FADEL: If you could just lay out the history that feeds into the skepticism around international intervention.

CHARLES: Well, first, you have to talk about, you know, I think the Haitian Constitution. That's - you know, I mean, this is a country that was founded by former slaves, you know, when they revolted against France. So there's this whole issue of sovereignty. But in more recent times, you look at the United Nations that have had to step into Haiti, you know, with their peacekeeping operations over the years. And people have been critical about that. But, you know, as a reporter on the ground, I've always said that when you have, you know, U.N. peacekeepers that have come into your country, their job and role is not to make everything right again. It's to create the political space and the stability and the security. It's called a stabilization¹³ force for a reason - in order to allow the Haitian actors to step into that space and to provide some guidance, governance, you know, some laws, you know, that will ensure that stability.

FADEL: There's been political chaos¹⁴ since the assassination¹⁵ of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. In your reporting, how do Haitians feel about Prime Minister Ariel Henry's ability to handle this moment and the necessary political changes?

CHARLES: Prime Minister Ariel Henry has faced an uphill battle from the start in terms of leading this country. I mean, one, we have to remember that he was named by Jovenel Moise, who at the time of his death was an increasingly unpopular president. And so Ariel Henry has always been viewed as aligned¹⁶ with Jovenel Moise. He's never been able to be independent, and that has not helped him at all. At the same time, he has instituted some very unpopular measures, starting, of course, with this decision to raise the price of fuel. And when you talk to people, you know, they're looking at the situation in this country where the economy is in shambles¹⁷. The political paralysis¹⁸ is increasing. You know, hunger is growing.

And you've got this person there, and they're not elected. But at the same time, when you talk to folks in the international community, what they're saying - OK, but you guys need to come up with a solution. You need to come up with a plan. And so what you find today is Ariel Henry is trying to bring together various groups around the table to see if they can come up with some sort of a plan to lead this country into a transition that will get it to elections. Can he do it? I don't know. Everybody is sort of watching it.

FADEL: What is a Haitian-led solution in the midst of all of this, all of these crises - economic, humanitarian¹⁹, violence?

CHARLES: That's a very good question - right? - because what we have not been able to see since the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moise - and this is something that even existed before that - is Haitians coming around the table and agreeing on, you know, some solutions. I mean, one of the solution or part of the solution that's been presented is this idea of getting foreign assistance on the ground to help strengthen your police so that they can provide some sort of a, quote-unquote, "humanitarian corridor." But even in that, you see Haitians divided about that.

And I think that that is the key - is, like, trying to get Haitians to come around a set of goals or, you know, a set of decisions or some sort of direction to say, OK, here are the necessary steps that we're going to take in order to move this country along. You have an international community which recently has turned to sanctions. But what they're really saying is, we want reforms, you know? So I think that's the real challenge for Haitians today - those who really do recognize what's happening and recognize that it can't continue to go on sort of being able to compromise. And that's what the international community is asking.

Is that going to happen in the new year? I don't know because what's going to happen as of the second Monday in January is you're going to be looking at a country where there's absolutely not one elected official. Today, there are 10 elected members of the Senate, which is usually 30 people. Well, their mandates²¹ run out as of the second Monday. So you're looking at a country that is going to be faced with two choices - that it's either going to fall deeper and deeper into crisis and chaos, or it's going to elevate itself to say, OK, enough already. Let's figure out how to pull ourselves out of this, and let's start to take the steps to do that.

FADEL: Miami Herald reporter Jacqueline Charles on the very dire²⁰ situation in Haiti. Thank you so much for your reporting.

CHARLES: Thank you for having me.

(SOUNDBITE OF TOR'S "CITY 66")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

7 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

10 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

11 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

12 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

13 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

14 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

15 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

16 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

17 shambles   

n.混乱之处；废墟

参考例句：

• My room is a shambles.我房间里乱七八糟。
• The fighting reduced the city to a shambles.这场战斗使这座城市成了一片废墟。

18 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

19 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。

20 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

21 mandates   

托管（mandate的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• Individual mandates would require all people to purchase health insurance. 个人托管要求所有人都要购买健康保险。
• While I agree with those benefits, I'm not a supporter of mandates. 我同意上述好处，我不是授权软件的支持者。