VOA慢速英语2019 随着军队撤离 阿富汗的外国援助可能会减少（在线收听）

There are fears that much-needed foreign aid to Afghanistan will decrease once international military forces withdraw from the country. Aid experts say a drop in assistance would worsen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.

有人担心一旦国际军事力量撤出阿富汗，该国迫切需要的国外援助就会锐减。援助专家表示，援助减少将会加剧阿富汗的人道主义危机。

United States and Taliban representatives are attempting to negotiate an agreement to end nearly 18 years of fighting. Such a deal could raise questions about the future of aid from other countries.

美国和塔利班代表正试图通过谈判达成协议，以结束近18年的战争。这种协议可能会引发人们对其它国家未来援助的质疑。

The biggest victims in Afghanistan are children. The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF estimates that about 2 million Afghan boys and girls face severe malnutrition. Of those, about 600,000 could die without urgent treatment, UNICEF said.

阿富汗最大的受害者是儿童。联合国儿童基金会估计阿富汗大约有200万儿童面临严重的营养不良。联合国儿童基金会表示，其中约60万儿童可能因为缺乏紧急治疗而死亡。

One example of this urgency can be seen in Jebul Siraj, a mountainside community north of the capital, Kabul.

首都喀布尔以北山坡上的Jebul Siraj社区就有一个这种急迫的案例。

On a visit to Jebul Siraj, a reporter from The Associated Press saw a woman holding a 7-month-old boy. Days before, the boy was receiving emergency medical care. Now, he was drinking a special food mixture supplied by a UNICEF-supported nutrition program. Nearby other mothers lined up with their children for food.

美联社记者在探访Jebul Siraj时看到一名妇女抱着一个7月大的男孩。几天前，这个男孩接受了紧急治疗。现在，他正在喝一种由联合国儿童基金会支持的营养计划提供的特殊食品混合物。附近的其他母亲带着孩子在排队领取食物。

Fariba Hashimi is a health care worker at a hospital in a nearby city. The hospital treats more than 1,000 children a month for malnutrition. She says the problem is getting worse.

法瑞巴·哈希米是邻市一家医院的医护人员。该医院每月收治了1千多名营养不良的儿童。她说问题越来越严重了。

“It’s mostly an economic issue, for mothers as well,” Hashimi told The AP. “They can’t breastfeed because they don’t have enough income to feed themselves.”

哈希米表示：“这对母亲们来说主要也是经济问题。她们没法母乳喂养，因为她们都没有足够收入养活自己。”

Health care and other basic services, such as power supplies, are unpredictable across the country.

阿富汗各地的医疗保健以及供电等基本服务无法预测。

The World Bank has estimated that outside assistance pays for about 75 percent of total public spending. The bank has warned of the dangers of a quick reduction “in international aid flows.”

世界银行估计，外部援助承担了该国75%左右的公共总支出。世界银行警告称“国际援助资金流”存在迅速减少的危险。

Afghanistan has received more American aid than any other country since the U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban in 2001. Even after billions of dollars in assistance, more than half of its people still live in poverty. Much of the aid has gone to security efforts. Many Afghans say a lot of the money has also been wasted through government corruption and bad management.

自2001年美国主导入侵把塔利班赶下台以来，阿富汗获得的援助超过其它任何国家。即使经过了数十亿美元的援助，阿富汗仍有一半以上人口生活在贫困当中。大部分援助都投入了安保工作。很多阿富汗人称大量援助资金浪费在了政府腐败以及管理不善上。

U.S. government aid to Afghanistan was cut in half in 2014, the year that U.S. and NATO forces officially ended military operations there. About 20,000 forces remain, largely to train and support Afghan forces.

2014年，美国和北约部队正式结束了在阿富汗的军事行动，同一年，美国对阿富汗援助削减了一半。目前仍有2万名美国士兵留在阿富汗，主要是为了训练和支援阿富汗部队。

Alex Thier once directed assistance for the country with the U.S. Agency for International Development. He told The AP that if a U.S.-Taliban agreement brings badly needed peace, Afghanistan could actually see an increase in aid.

亚历克斯·蒂尔曾经在美国国际开发署管理对阿富汗援助。他对美联社表示，如果美国和塔利班之间的协议能够带来迫切需要的和平，对阿富汗的援助可能会实质增加。

But if the peace process lasts a long time or fails, it could reduce the “enthusiasm for giving,” he said. Political observers say some groups would be slow to donate to a Taliban-influenced government that does not respect the rights of women and others.

他说，但是如果和平进程持续很长时间或是失败，可能会降低“援助的热情。”政治观察人士表示，有些团体可能会放缓对阿富汗政府的援助，原因是受塔利班影响的政府不尊重妇女以及他人的权利。

The Taliban has suggested it wants international aid to continue after an agreement. Alex Thier says it is his understanding that the U.S.-Taliban talks have included discussions on ways to keep foreign aid flowing. He said that information on the negotiations came from diplomats and people tied to the Taliban.

塔利班提出希望在达成协议后继续获得国际援助。蒂尔表示，他的看法是，美国与塔利班的谈判包括了如何继续保持国外援助资金的流动。他说，谈判有关消息来自外交官以及塔利班相关人士。

The local U.N. humanitarian representative, Toby Lanzer, says he does not believe foreign aid will decrease. Lanzer told The AP he believes the humanitarian situation is so serious that many donors will agree that aid efforts must continue. Lanzer said he had spoken with U.S. officials and other “particularly generous” countries and they had suggested they are committed to long-term financial support.

联合国当地人道主义代表托比·兰泽表示，他认为援助不会减少。兰泽对美联社表示，他认为阿富汗的人道主义形势如此严重，许多援助者都会同意继续开展援助工作。兰泽表示，他曾与美国官员以及其它“特别慷慨”的国家有过交流，他们都自称致力于长期的资金援助。

I’m Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

malnutrition – n. serious illness caused by having too little food

income – n. earnings

management – n. the controlling or organizing of something

enthusiasm – n. the feeling of being very interested in something and wanting to be involved in it

generous – adj. giving people a lot of money, things or time