VOA慢速英语2021--阿富汗中产阶级失业陷入贫困和饥饿

Jobs lost, Middle Class Afghans Becoming Poor, Hungry

In just a few months, Afghanistan's economy has collapsed¹. Many formerly² secure families are now in fear of how they will pay for food. This is one reason the United Nations is calling attention to a hunger crisis.

Of the 38 million people, 22 percent are nearly foodless already and 36 percent are facing immediate³ danger from food insecurity. This is mainly because people do not have enough money for food.

The economy was already in trouble under the former government. It often could not pay its workers. The situation was worsened by the coronavirus pandemic and by a drought that increased food prices. By 2020, nearly half of Afghanistan's population was considered poor.

After the August 15 Taliban takeover, other countries stopped sending money to Afghanistan. This hurt the country's already small middle class. The money sent by foreign governments once paid for much of Afghanistan's government spending. Without it, the Taliban has been unable to pay government workers or provide public services.

International aid also paid for projects around the country that provided jobs, most of which are now stopped. The country's banks are cut off from the international banking⁴ system, hurting the private economy. The country's total economy is estimated to have decreased by 40 percent in just three months.

Hospitals are seeing increasing numbers of starving children, mostly from the country's poorest families who were already insecure.

Now formerly financially secure families are finding themselves with nothing and must find ways to pay for food, housing, and medical needs.

Not long ago, Ferishta Salihi and her family had enough for a good life. Her husband was working and was paid well. She could send several of her daughters to private schools.

Then her husband lost his job after the Taliban takeover. She lined up to register for food and money from the U.N.'s World Food Program (WFP) just to survive.

"We have lost everything. We've lost our minds," Salihi said after her registration⁵ was complete. She had to take her 17-year-old daughter Fatima out of school. She does not have the money to pay for private schooling⁶, and the Taliban is not permitting older girls to go to public school.

"I don't want anything for myself, I just want my children to get an education," Salihi said.

The United States and other international donors⁷ are sending money to Afghanistan for humanitarian⁸ aid through U.N. agencies. This guarantees the money does not go to the Taliban government.

U.N. agencies and the World Health Organization are working to pay heath care workers to keep the health system from collapsing⁹. U.N. agencies are also providing money and food for families to provide some security.

The WFP has already had to greatly increase the program. In 2020, it provided aid to 9 million people, up from the year before. So far this year, that number has risen to nearly 14 million. It has greatly increased since August. Next year, the agency hopes to provide for more than 23 million people. It says it needs $220 million a month to do so.

Shelley Thakral is the WFP spokesperson for Afghanistan. She said it is not just the very poorest who need help. There is a new group of people in cities who up until the summer have been making money "... and now are facing hunger for the first time," she said.

She added, "People are now having to scavenge for food, they're skipping meals and mothers are forced to reduce portions of food."

Words in This Story

drought – n. a long period of time during which there is very little or no rain

humanitarian – adj. help or money given to people or countries, in order to improve living conditions

scavenge – v. to search for food to eat

skip – v. to not do (something that is usual or expected)

portion – n. the amount of food that is served to a person at one time

1 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

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 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

6 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

7 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》

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 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。