VOA标准英语2015--叙利亚难民儿童面临巨大的健康危机

Syrian Refugee Children's Massive Health Crisis 叙利亚难民儿童面临巨大的健康危机

ZA'ATARI CAMP, JORDAN—

Many Syrian children under 5 years old cannot remember life before violence and homelessness. At a sprawling¹ refugee camp in Jordan, parents say their children suffer everything from epilepsy to incontinence as a result of trauma², and camp hospitals are not equipped to solve this complex health crisis.

Many ailments³ affecting children

Morhaf is 4 1/2- years- old, and his mother said he starting having seizures⁴ as a baby after the bombing began. His 1-year-old brother, Rafaat, is malnourished because of constant vomiting⁵ and diarrhea.

As she waits at refugee camp clinic for medicines for her children, Aziza Ghazawi said trauma from the violence of the Syrian war has ruined the health of all of her six children. “The shelling was constant and my house was totally demolished⁶. One of my children was hurt. My daughter's leg was injured. My son developed epileptic seizures from the air raids. My youngest child doesn’t eat or drink,” she said.

Other parents at the camp say most of the children born since the war began four years ago have health problems.

Aid workers say the families fled gruesome battles to live in rough conditions, making them sicker than other people. And their numbers keep growing.

“There is tremendous pressure on health centers inside the camps because there is a large demand from huge numbers of refugees. From one day to another we are trying to cope with these problems. We are trying to increase the number of doctors and health centers. But it can not be underestimated how many people still need health care,” explained Najed Bawaneh, Jordan Health Aid Society.

Health crisis grows in camps

And as the crisis grows, funds to help refugees are dwindling⁷, said Nasreddine Touaibia, a spokesman for the U.N.’s refugee agency at the camp. “The general picture is 600,000 refugees in Jordan alone. And more than 3.5 million refugees in the region. So Za’atari is really the tip of the iceberg⁸. And that’s the biggest challenge," Touaibia said. "To keep the funding and to keep the programs running.”

Some parents say the care needed for children who may have complex trauma injuries is difficult to find anywhere, and nearly impossible for refugees.

“She is four years old, and she has been like this for four years. I’ve taken her everywhere I can for help. She cannot speak, she cannot hear, and she is terrified at night,” explained refugee Tayssir Fowaz Shehada.

His daughter, Bissan, is also incontinent and has trouble focusing her eyes, he said. His wife said the child was born at home, while bombs reigned⁹ down on her city.  “We didn’t take her for medical care in the hospital immediately. She waited at our home in Syria for ten days. We didn’t take her to the hospital because the hospital was under siege. It was completely surrounded,” he added.

Ghazawi said she thinks the health crisis will get worse before it gets better, with no end in sight for the war. And Morhaf’s generation of Syrian children, she said, are already more sick and tired than many of the adults.

1 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

2 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

3 ailments   

疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His ailments include a mild heart attack and arthritis. 他患有轻度心脏病和关节炎。
• He hospitalizes patients for minor ailments. 他把只有小病的患者也送进医院。

4 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

5 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

6 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

7 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

8 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

9 reigned   

vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）

参考例句：

• Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》