NBC晚间新闻 新冠疫情将造成更大饥荒

While the global COVID death toll¹ tonight tops 650 000, what's coming could be far worse. The World Food Program and three other U.N agencies predict mass starvation because of COVID's disastrous² economic impact. The UN agencies say the 140 million people around the world on the brink³ of starvation now could rise to a staggering 270 million. This year if we don't get a social safety net program out there immediately in providing food, you will see mass starvation famines of biblical proportions. David Beasley the director of the World Food Program says children are the hardest hit, with 10 000 more dying every month.

In many countries no school means no food, leaving kids with weakened immune systems, which means they can be vulnerable not just to COVID, malaria⁴, diphtheria, cholera⁵. And the crisis will spread beyond the developing world the UN warns as hungry people move to survive. Do you think covid will lead to a new wave of mass migration⁶ coming toward the united states? There's no question in my mind. You will see migration heading toward the U.S border. The World Food Program is urgently calling for 4.9 billion dollars to stop COVID related hunger and famine.

今晚，虽然全球冠状病毒致死人数超过65万，但是接下来的情况可能更糟。世界粮食计划署和其他三家联合国机构预测，冠状病毒带来的灾难性经济影响将导致大规模饥荒。联合国机构表示，目前世界上处于饥饿边缘的1.4亿人可能上升到惊人的2.7亿。今年，如果我们不能在提供食物方面立即建立一个社会安全网，你会看到圣经中那样的大规模饥荒。世界粮食计划署主任大卫·比斯利说，儿童是受害最严重的，每个月都有1万多儿童死亡。在许多国家，没有学校就意味着没有食物，孩子们的免疫系统就会减弱。这意味着他们不仅容易感染新冠病毒，还有疟疾、白喉、霍乱。联合国警告说，随着饥饿的人们为生存而迁移，这场危机将蔓延到发展中国家之外。你认为新冠病毒会导致新一轮大规模移民前往美国吗？毫无疑问，在我看来，你们会看到移民向美国边境涌去。世界粮食计划署紧急呼吁49亿美元，以停止与新冠病毒有关的饥饿和饥荒。

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 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。

3 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

4 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

5 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。

6 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。