美国国家公共电台 NPR--Amid countries that need humanitarian aid, U.N. worries Yemen will be forgotten

Amid countries that need humanitarian¹ aid, U.N. worries Yemen will be forgotten

Transcript²

Yemen has been one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. Aid groups worry it's being forgotten as the world focuses on Ukraine and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

Humanitarian needs around the world are immense. U.N. agencies, for example, are trying to raise funds to help people in Syria and Turkey recover from a devastating³ earthquake and help Ukrainians under attack from Russia. But aid workers say don't forget Yemen. That's a message that NPR's Michele Kelemen has been hearing from an aid worker based in the capital of Sanaa.

MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE⁴: The World Food Programme runs one of the largest aid operations in the world in Yemen, feeding millions of people trapped in a complicated war that has devastated⁵ the country. The WFP's Richard Ragan says he knows there's a lot of competition for aid donations around the world. But he brought this message to Washington.

RICHARD RAGAN: Now is not the time to take your foot off the gas for Yemen because there's hope.

KELEMEN: There is an uneasy truce⁶ in Yemen. Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, control most of the country, with the south run by a government backed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf⁷ states. The Saudi-led airstrikes that led to many civilian⁸ deaths and widespread damage in the country have abated⁹. The Houthis are trying to transform themselves from an armed militia¹⁰ to a governing body. Ragan says that's a challenge.

RAGAN: We deal with them every day, all day. And it's a grind, you know? It's not an easy process.

KELEMEN: And that's coming from someone who has a lot of experience.

RAGAN: I've been in the U.N. system working for the World Food Programme for 25 years. I was a representative in North Korea. And I have to say, this is the most challenging place I've ever worked.

KELEMEN: And the Houthis are making it even more challenging now, placing restrictions¹¹ on women aid workers. The war is at a pivotal point. Saudi Arabia has tried for the past eight years to reinstall the government that the Houthis ousted¹². Nadwa Al-Dawsari of the Middle East Institute says the Saudis are now just tired of a war that has seen the Houthis repeatedly attack Saudi territory.

NADWA AL-DAWSARI: And their priorities have changed from defeating the Houthis, reinstating the government into Sanaa, to kind of keep the Houthis at bay and get some sort of, like, reassurances¹³ from the Houthis that the cross-border attacks will stop.

KELEMEN: But that leaves out many other groups in Yemen who, she says, oppose the Houthis.

AL-DAWSARI: They are fearful of Houthi taking control of the country. I mean, this is an extremely oppressive group.

KELEMEN: Particularly, she says, for women and minorities. So she has some advice for policymakers here in Washington.

AL-DAWSARI: I think the international community should not normalize with the Houthis. The international community should not pressure Yemenis to accept a political settlement with the Houthis where the Houthis have the upper hand, which is the case now.

KELEMEN: Aid groups have sought to keep lines open to the Houthis because they control areas where millions of people are in need. The State Department says it has no illusions about the group but is focused on tamping¹⁴ down the violence and keeping aid flowing. The U.S. has provided more than $1 billion for Yemen last year and is looking to others to give generously at an upcoming pledging meeting. Richard Ragan of the World Food Programme puts it this way.

RAGAN: We would have, last year, probably had to turn out the lights if the U.S. didn't show up because the Gulf states didn't contribute in a significant way.

KELEMEN: And now, with rising needs everywhere in the world, he's calling for continued support for Yemen.

Michele Kelemen, NPR News, the State Department.

(SOUNDBITE OF AK'S "SLEEPLESS IN BERLIN")

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 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。

4 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。

5 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。

6 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

7 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。

8 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。

9 abated   

减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The worker's concern about cuts in the welfare funding has not abated. 工人们对削减福利基金的关心并没有减少。
• The heat has abated. 温度降低了。

10 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

11 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

12 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

13 reassurances   

n.消除恐惧或疑虑( reassurance的名词复数 )；恢复信心；使人消除恐惧或疑虑的事物；使人恢复信心的事物

参考例句：

• We have had some reassurances from the council that the building will be saved. 理事会保证会保留那座建筑，这使我们得到了些许安慰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Everybody's reassurances have encouraged me. 大家的勉励鼓舞了我。 来自辞典例句

14 tamping   

n.填塞物，捣紧v.捣固( tamp的现在分词 )；填充；（用炮泥）封炮眼口；夯实

参考例句：

• The foundation becomes solid after tamping. 打夯以后，地基就瓷实了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Practical construction shows that equal energy, equal deformation tamping a. 等能量、等变形夯扩挤密矸石桩是一种地基加固新技术。 来自互联网