Examining the humanitarian crisis parallels, created by war, in Ukraine and Syria

Examining the humanitarian¹ crisis parallels, created by war, in Ukraine and Syria

　　Transcript²

　　NPR's A Martinez talks to Bob Kitchen of the aid group the International Rescue Committee, about the humanitarian lessons for Ukraine from the war in Syria.

　　A MARTINEZ, HOST:

　　Some 3 1/2 million people have fled Ukraine since the Russian invasion a month ago. A further 6 1/2 million are internally displaced. Now, with the number of cities under attack, food and water are dwindling³ in some places. Aid agencies and humanitarian groups are working to get supplies in and get people out safely. Now, one of those groups is the International Rescue Committee, or IRC. Bob Kitchen is vice⁴ president of emergencies and humanitarian action. Bob, many parts of Ukraine are besieged⁵ right now, coming under attack from Russian airstrikes and bombardments. Some are drawing parallels with the tactics used in the war in Syria. The IRC, your group, was in Syria from the start. Are you noticing any similar patterns between the two countries?

　　BOB KITCHEN: Absolutely. The outflow of people that you just spoke⁶ to, 3 1/2 million people moving into multiple countries and then moving onwards down into Europe, feels very familiar. So we're working with local organizations and governments and those neighboring countries and then inside Ukraine itself. While it has happened in a much shorter period of time where Syria took a lot longer to develop in this way with besiegements and ongoing⁷ bombardment of cities, it's feeling very similar.

　　MARTINEZ: Now, we're seeing Russian troops surrounding cities such as Mariupol, effectively cutting off supply routes. How do you work around that?

　　KITCHEN: Well, it's a combination of working around it and then trying our best to work through it. So right now, we have staff in the west and center of Ukraine moving down towards the areas that are besieged. Our intent is to identify and start working with local organizations, local communities and activists⁸ who themselves are in need but are sacrificing a great deal by moving people out of these besieged cities as they can and then taking aid back in. Mariupol is incredibly difficult, and we're fighting against the clock to make a difference there. But Ukrainians know best. They know how to move between lines, move between the fighting. And over time, I expect them to find ways to get supplies into even these besieged cities.

　　MARTINEZ: Are you surprised by the numbers and the speed at which people are fleeing Ukraine or trying to get out?

　　KITCHEN: Yes. We were in Poland three weeks prior to the conflict. We saw this coming. We deployed⁹ a team in to get ready. The Polish government was saying that they were ready to receive a million refugees. We felt that that was a proportional level of preparedness. Within a few short days and weeks, that million figure had been surpassed. So the speed and scale at which people moved was a surprise to - I think, for everyone involved. But it was proportional to the level of violence that happened so rapidly across the country.

　　MARTINEZ: And what are you able to do for the refugees leaving Ukraine right now?

　　KITCHEN: We're in Poland, we're in Moldova, and we're operating across Germany and Greece, Italy and in the U.K. - so very proximate to the border. We're working with Polish organizations to provide first aid, counseling and basic supplies on the border. And then our own programs are focusing on where refugees move to after they've crossed. And then we're seeking ways to deliver very, very large-scale cash programming in the big cities to Ukrainians. We believe it's best to give individuals who have lost control, who have - their lives have changed overnight, give them the decision-making power as to what their most urgent needs are by giving them cash so they can go to the local market and buy what they need. That also invests in the local market, which keeps the very high levels of welcome we're seeing across Europe.

　　MARTINEZ: Considering what the situation is right now, and I realize it could change just in a moment, what would you say is your main concern going forward right now?

　　KITCHEN: We've talked big numbers, but the biggest number on my mind at the moment is the 12 million people who are living in besieged or very heavily conflict-affected cities who haven't been able to displace. As you said, the besieged cities, we're hearing reports out of them. Some have three or four days' worth of food left. So we really are on a clock to try and get aid in there. Otherwise, we're going to start seeing people just dying through starvation.

　　MARTINEZ: I know that the world's attention is squarely focused on Ukraine, and given the circumstances, that's fully¹⁰ warranted. But are you concerned at all about impacts on other parts of the world that are in need right now of humanitarian support - Yemen, Afghanistan, for instance?

　　KITCHEN: I'm incredibly worried. This is the fastest developing and very close to being the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, definitely in Europe. But we've got other big things going on in the Horn, in East Africa. Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia import the vast majority of their grain from Russia and Ukraine, and with those markets now either closed or sanctioned, they were already facing massive food insecurity, which is going to be turbocharged by this crisis. It's incredibly worrying.

　　MARTINEZ: That's Bob Kitchen. He is vice president of emergencies and humanitarian action with International Rescue Committee. Bob, thank you very much.

　　KITCHEN: Thank you.

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 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

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

6 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。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

10 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。