After a decade of war, quake that struck northwest Syria made a bad situation worse

 

After a decade of war, quake that struck northwest Syria made a bad situation worse

Transcript¹

NPR's A Martinez speaks with Kieren Barnes of Mercy Corps² about the earthquake and relief efforts in northwestern Syria.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The United States Treasury³ Department says that it will issue a license⁴ permitting earthquake aid to arrive in Syria that would have otherwise been prohibited by U.S. sanctions. According to the United Nations, northwestern Syria is home to about 1.8 million displaced people who are already suffering from more than a decade of war - and now this. Among the international aid groups on the ground is Mercy Corps. I spoke⁵ earlier by Skype with the group's Syria country director, Kieren Barnes, and he told me about the particular challenges of providing earthquake relief in the area.

KIEREN BARNES: It's a very cut-off, isolated⁶ pocket of Syria. The infrastructure⁷ is very weak. So even just trying to make calls with them on the first few days was hard. The electricity was out, the internet, the phone lines. So most of this week has been about gathering⁸ information and doing kind of bare minimum at this point.

MART?NEZ: And what kind of information are you hearing from your colleagues?

BARNES: So we have about 45 staff who are actually based in northwest Syria. Many of them have been affected⁹ personally, and sadly, some of them have lost their wives and children in this disaster. But those who are able to work are going out to the communities. They've seen lots of people sleeping in cars, people standing¹⁰ next to rubble¹¹ and hearing their family members stuck inside, but there's nothing they can do for them. They don't have the same level of heavy machinery¹² or expertise¹³. So that's been extremely difficult.

And then on top of that, it's the winter. So it's freezing conditions, snowing. People are homeless. The heating supplies are not good enough and not good quality. People are burning rubbish just to stay warm. So it's - and it's also very confusing. I think that's the other factor. Especially in the first few hours with the aftershocks, people were confused. They didn't know where to go, they didn't know where to stay and what was the safest thing for them and their families.

MART?NEZ: The U.N. aid convoy¹⁴ crossed into northwest Syria for the first time since the earthquake hit on Monday. How much do you think this will help the people that really need it?

BARNES: That supply line is absolutely critical to this response. Normally, we only have a few crossing points into Turkey and one that is designated that the U.N. can use. That's not enough in normal times, but particularly with this earthquake, we are going to need a lot of supplies coming in. Most of the organizations, including ourselves, we have some preposition kits¹⁵. So we have 1,700 kits that we're able to distribute now. We've managed to procure¹⁶ another 800 hygiene¹⁷ kits and 150 shelter kits.

But eventually, those supplies are going to run out - maybe in a matter of days and certainly in weeks. So we need both the humanitarian¹⁸ aid to be flowing through with the U.N., but we also need the commercial sector¹⁹ to be running as well so that we can procure directly inside Syria and deliver to people on the ground.

MART?NEZ: Does Turkey need to open up more crossing points, or is security just too touchy²⁰ of a situation there?

BARNES: It's a very difficult political issue, and I think it's for all parties involved who have been involved in this conflict to make it possible for us to access people and the supplies that we need.

MART?NEZ: Can you help our listeners understand just how challenging the situation is for aid workers in Syria after more than a decade of war?

BARNES: Absolutely. I mean, our teams are incredibly resilient. I mean, they've been through a lot from the last 12 years, and to be honest, in the last 12 months. We've been dealing²¹ with the impacts of the conflict in Ukraine, the lack of food that's been provided in northwest Syria, and then more recently, cholera²² just before winter - dealing with all these crises, one after another after another. And then there are people who are displaced inside northwest Syria multiple times, constantly moving with their families in temporary shelter. The earthquake on Monday is particularly acute. It's - you know, within minutes people's lives have changed, and our teams are having to respond to that. But they themselves have also been affected by it.

We can't bring in people into the area. That's one of the biggest difficulties. We can't kind of fly in lots of specialists to this. This is Syrians helping²³ Syrians on the ground. And I don't think we have the full picture yet. And we're certainly moving more into the humanitarian phase where we need to provide for those who have survived. And we need to think about their shelter, their food, their water, and to keep them warm. And that's going to be the priority now, I think.

MART?NEZ: What does Mercy Corps need the most to effectively do its work right now?

BARNES: We certainly need the international community to step up. Syria has fallen out of the spotlight²⁴. So we need the finances that we can then go and purchase things inside Syria and start responding. We're looking at things like water supply to the camps where we work, which have been damaged. Soil is seeping²⁵ in. It's contaminating the water. We need to address those issues immediately, and we need the funding to do that.

MART?NEZ: And is that how people here in the U.S. can help with this situation in Syria and Turkey?

BARNES: Absolutely. I think it's the fastest way to respond. Money moves quickly, obviously, and we can get that into Syria and our teams can go out and work with local suppliers. We have engineers. We need to recruit more staff, to be honest, on the ground and to get them working. So this is the most urgent thing that we need right now.

MART?NEZ: That's Kieren Barnes, Syrian country director for Mercy Corps. Kieren,thanks.

BARNES: Thanks.

1 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。

2 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

3 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

4 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

5 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。

6 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

12 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。

13 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

14 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

15 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

16 procure   

vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条

参考例句：

• Can you procure some specimens for me?你能替我弄到一些标本吗？
• I'll try my best to procure you that original French novel.我将尽全力给你搞到那本原版法国小说。

17 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

18 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。

19 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。

20 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

21 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

22 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

23 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

24 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

25 seeping   

v.（液体）渗( seep的现在分词 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• Water had been slowly seeping away from the pond. 池塘里的水一直在慢慢渗漏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chueh-hui could feel the cold seeping into his bones. 觉慧开始觉得寒气透过衣服浸到身上来了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）