VOA慢速英语--世卫组织总干事谭德塞表示将向黎巴嫩提供紧急支持

WHO Chief Calls for Urgent Assistance to Lebanon

The head of the World Health Organization says Lebanon is in urgent need of assistance to help it deal with several crises.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke¹ to reporters Friday in Beirut following two days of meetings with Lebanese officials and medical workers. Ghebreyesus also visited a number of health care centers.

He said Lebanon needs emergency and development support to deal with severe economic and structural² problems. One of the most immediate³ issues is a shortage of fuel and medicine.

Ghebreyesus expressed worry that conditions in Lebanon had led many health workers to leave the country. The loss has left the country short of much needed human resources, he said.

Lebanon is a country of 6 million people, including over 1 million Syrian refugees.

Earlier this month, Ghebreyesus spoke to reporters at a rebuilt WHO warehouse⁴ near the city's port. The building it replaces had been destroyed in a massive accidental explosion last year. The warehouse was used for storing drugs and other medical supplies.

Ghebreyesus noted⁵ that the Lebanese people were already struggling with financial and political problems. The COVID crisis and the deadly explosion brought additional disaster.

"This is heavy. This is very heavy," the WHO chief said. "I don't know if there is any country in such a situation, which is really dire⁶."

For months pharmacies⁷, stores that sell medicine, have been running low on supplies. Widespread panic buying had emptied many stores of drugs. Many medicine makers⁸ decided⁹ to hold on to their supplies, planning to sell the medicine later at higher prices.

Lebanese hospitals are urgently seeking fuel to keep power generators¹⁰ running and operate life-saving machinery¹¹. The economic crisis has left the government struggling to import basic materials.

Ghebreyesus said drug shortages threaten tens of thousands of people in Lebanon, including cancer patients. Medical workers are forced to use substitute medications for patients. Reports suggest that thousands of doctors and nurses have left the country in the past year to seek jobs elsewhere.

"Nurses are leaving, doctors are leaving," Ghebreyesus said. "This is very serious. Its impact will last for many years to come."

The WHO's director for Lebanon, Iman Shankiti, said the U.N. agency has been trying to help get medicine for cancer and critical patients. The WHO also has helped provide fuel for several hospitals for the next few months until a more lasting¹² solution can be found.

"It is only -- as we call it -- a band-aid, to ensure that the service continues running," Shankiti said. "The U.N. again will not be able to replace the system itself."

Lebanon has been without a fully¹³ operating government for over a year. A new government was recently named. The leaders promised to hold talks with the International Monetary¹⁴ Fund in an effort to negotiate assistance from international donors¹⁵.

Ghebreyesus said the WHO will be sending a team of technical experts to help the Lebanese government find solutions and develop plans for reforms.

Words in This Story

dire – adj. very serious or bad

pharmacy¹⁶ – n. a shop that prepares and sells medicines

panic – n. a sudden, strong feeling or worry of fear that makes people unable to think or behave calmly

alternative – n. one or more things available as another possibility

impact – n. the effect a person, event or situation has on someone or something

band-aid – n. a name for a small piece of cloth or plastic that sticks to your skin to cover and protect a small wound

1 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。

2 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

3 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。

4 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 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。

7 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

8 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

12 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

15 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 pharmacy   

n.药房，药剂学，制药业，配药业，一批备用药品

参考例句：

• She works at the pharmacy.她在药房工作。
• Modern pharmacy has solved the problem of sleeplessness.现代制药学已经解决了失眠问题。