How one city in southern Ukraine became a humanitarian hub

How one city in southern Ukraine became a humanitarian¹ hub

Transcript²

It's been too dangerous for many Ukrainians to leave their house — let alone make an escape. But some have found ways to cross the frontlines, navigating³ dangerous check points, to safer areas.

A MARTINEZ, HOST:

For nearly three months, civilians⁴ in parts of southern Ukraine have been living a nightmare. In cities that were quickly encircle and occupied in the early days of the war, it was too dangerous to leave the house, let alone make an escape. But some have found ways to cross the front lines, navigating tense, often dangerous checkpoints toward safer areas. NPR's Tim Mak reports on those who have escaped Russian-held territory.

TIM MAK, BYLINE⁵: The city of Zaporizhzhia in southern Ukraine has become a humanitarian hub. Close to the front lines, it's one of the first cities that fleeing civilians reach after a dangerous ordeal⁶. They face bombs and bullets, tense checkpoints, even looting soldiers before finally making it into the safety of the city, said Volodymyr Marchuk, an official for the local government.

VOLODYMYR MARCHUK: (Through interpreter) There were some cases where they even took people's cars and said, you can walk if you want to escape. Just walk if you want to save your life.

MAK: Men trying to escape combat areas have been forced to strip down at Russian checkpoints, including Sergey Protsenko, who owns a small restaurant now behind Russian lines.

SERGEY PROTSENKO: (Through interpreter) So they stopped us at checkpoint and asked the men to get out the vehicles. And they took off our top clothes to see if we don't have any tattoos⁷ or signs from being in the Ukraine army.

MAK: Olga Anasova is used to fleeing now, used to the violence, to the checkpoints. She had fled Donetsk in eastern Ukraine in 2014 after the initial Russia-backed violence, choosing to relocate to the southern port city of Mariupol. The Russian invasion this year led to the occupation of her new city. The fighting, she says, left dead bodies scattered⁸ all throughout Mariupol. And she was determined⁹ to leave early in the war.

OLGA ANASOVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

MAK: But her mother, trapped for days in the basement of a house they were sheltering in, had a stroke.

ANASOVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

MAK: Anasova's mother died. She remembers her husband burying her mother in a carpet. Blinded by grief, she says she doesn't remember whether she begged Russian or Ukrainian soldiers to help dig a grave.

ANASOVA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

MAK: She began her escape from Mariupol on foot before being picked up by chance by a passing bus.

UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Non-English language spoken).

MAK: When evacuees¹⁰ arrive in Zaporizhzhia, they gather in the parking lot of a big-box store where, they can get food, toys and mental health counseling. Some have been hidden in basements for months. Others are too scared to move or even to accept help. Lubov Kremenetskaya, a mental health professional who is helping¹¹ treat evacuees, has watched thousands of people pass through and recounted one story that stuck with her. A car had arrived packed with seven people, a dog and a cat.

LUBOV KREMENETSKAYA: (Speaking Ukrainian).

MAK: One woman was so traumatized by the war and the escape that in the shock of it all, she refused to get out of the car, even after fleeing to relative safety. The journey is neither easy nor cheap. Tatiana Venzik said she spent most of her life savings¹² to escape the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol. Now out of immediate¹³ danger, she worries about her son, a soldier in the Ukrainian military.

TATIANA VENZIK: (Crying, speaking Ukrainian).

MAK: "I just want him to stay alive," she says. "He's the only one I have." And he's part of the effort to hold up the long front line in Ukraine that she escaped across.

Tim Mak, NPR News.

(SOUNDBITE OF NEIL COWLEY AND BEN LUKAS BOYSEN'S "A GRAIN OF TRUTH")

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 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。

3 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

7 tattoos   

n.文身( tattoo的名词复数 )；归营鼓；军队夜间表演操；连续有节奏的敲击声v.刺青，文身( tattoo的第三人称单数 )；连续有节奏地敲击；作连续有节奏的敲击

参考例句：

• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的胳膊上刺满了花纹。
• His arms were covered in tattoos. 他的双臂刺满了纹身。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

12 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。