VOA标准英语2010-As Yemeni Economy Grows, Poverty Deepens

A shop owner sits in front of his shop waiting for customers at the Bab el-Yemen old city market of the capital Sana'a, 03 Jan 2010

Officially, Yemen's economy is growing.  Unofficially, the nation appears to be trapped in a disastrous¹ downward economic spiral. 

On the streets of Sana'a, anger over price hikes is growing almost as fast as the prices.  In the past few months, the cost of wheat and sugar has more than doubled they say, and cooking gas, in constant short supply, can cost three times as much as it did a few months ago.

And while Yemen's Central Bank projects economic growth as high as eight percent in 2010, to average Yemenis, the idea that their country's economy is growing is laughable.

Price hikes

Ibrahim Musleh al-Farzay sells snacks, cigarettes, and canned food from his Sana'a shop.  He says some items in his store have gone up as much as 50 percent in recent months.  In the summer of 2005, price hikes in Yemen sparked riots that killed dozens of people, and injured hundreds.  Two young men died in the chaos² right outside his shop, al-Farzay says.  If things do not get better soon, he thinks the riots will start again.

But even by modest accounts, Yemen's economy is growing.  Oil exports fill about 70 percent of the government's coffers.  And although known oil supplies are drying up, Yemen has begun exporting liquefied natural gas.  The project, worth more than $4 billion over five years, is hailed by the government as an economic savior.

But Yemeni economists³ say that energy revenue alone will not help average people.  Sana'a University Economics Professor Taha al-Fusail says the energy sector⁴ may be a lifeline, but Yemen needs to diversify⁵ its economy if it wants to grow in a way that will fund the government and feed the people.

"But I think also we should consider agriculture, fishing, manufacturing also, which has sustainability for the economy.  Unfortunately we did not benefit from the oil or the gas," he said.

Al-Fusail says the price-hikes are a result of the devaluation of the local currency.  The Yemeni riyal has lost 20 percent of its value against the dollar in recent months.  Diversifying⁶ the economy, he says, would also help the country produce more and buy less, reducing the impact of the sinking value of Yemeni money.  At the moment, Yemen imports most of what it consumes.

Extreme poverty

And as the cost of everything goes up, extreme poverty in Yemen becomes more prevalent.  Millions of people can barely find enough to keep themselves alive and unemployment is reported as high as 40 percent.  In a country where half the people live on less than $2 a day, locals crowd desolate⁷ refugee camps, trying to get in.  The camps, which are meant to house only people fleeing wars, at least have some food and shelter.

And while international aid to combat terrorism in Yemen has increased in recent months, humanitarian⁸ agencies say they are running out of money.  Yemeni officials say the international funding is not nearly enough to combat poverty, which they say is the real security threat in Yemen.

Terror threat

But the threat of terrorism, according to former Yemeni prime minister Abdul Karim al-Iryani, is equally part of the downward economic spiral causing anger on the streets of Sana'a.

"Investment is very, very limited because of the security situation," he said.  "Tourism is almost zero.  Some hotels are closed.  Economic growth, it is a prediction, but I think it is far fetched that it will grow at eight percent."

As Yemen battles al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, a Southern separatist movement, and tries to wrap up a six-year old war in the north, Western governments warn their citizens to stay out of the country, scaring off tourists and investors⁹.  Al-Iryani says the warnings are harming his country, and that Yemen's major cities and almost all its roads are safely controlled by the central government.

But he says for this year Yemen's economic prospects¹⁰ are poor, and the country would be lucky to grow at half the rate the Central Bank has projected.  If it grows at four percent, he says, that would be a "bonanza¹¹."

 

1 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

2 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。

3 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 diversify   

v.（使）不同，（使）变得多样化

参考例句：

• Our company is trying to diversify.我们公司正力图往多样化方面发展。
• Hills and woods diversify the landscape.山陵和树木点缀景色。

6 diversifying   

v.使多样化，多样化( diversify的现在分词 )；进入新的商业领域

参考例句：

• Some publishers are now diversifying into software. 有些出版社目前正兼营软件。 来自辞典例句
• Silverlit is diversifying into new markets, such as Russia and Eastern Europe. Silverlit正在使他们的市场变得多样化，开发新的市场如俄罗斯和东欧国家。 来自互联网

7 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

8 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。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

11 bonanza   

n.富矿带，幸运，带来好运的事

参考例句：

• Bargain hunters enjoyed a real bonanza today.到处买便宜货的人今天真是交了好运。
• What a bonanza for the winning ticket holders!对于手持胜券的人来说，这是多好的运气啊。