The foreign ministers of Britain and France are heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to try to stave off a further humanitarian crisis in eastern Congo where tens of thousands are fleeing advancing rebel forces, despite a cease-fire that appears to be holding.
英国外长和法国外长动身前往刚果民主共和国和卢旺达，试图阻止刚果东部地区的人道危机进一步恶化，这是由于反叛部队无视停火协议继续进攻，导致刚果东部地区成千上万的人逃离家园。
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner are heading on a joint mission for talks in the DRC and Rwanda - with the aim of, as one British official put it, impressing upon both those governments the seriousness of the situation.
英国外长米利班德和法国外长库什内前去参加一个刚果民主共和国和卢旺达局势的联合使命会谈。一名英国官员说，会谈的目的是让这两个国家的政府意识到目前情况的严重性。
Their visit comes amid renewed fighting in eastern Congo between the Congolese army and ethnic Tutsi rebels, led by Laurent Nkunda. With a rebel advance on the eastern city of Goma, tens of thousands of civilians have fled the surrounding countryside into the city seeking safety, food and shelter.
在他们前往访问的同时，刚果政府军和军阀恩孔达领导的图西族反叛军在刚果东部地区重燃战火。反叛势力向东部城市戈马市挺进，导致周边乡镇成千上万的平民逃到城里寻求安全庇护和口粮。
Jaya Murthy is spokesman for the UN Children's Organization, Unicef. Speaking with VOA from Goma, Murthy described the humanitarian situation there as "terrible."
联合国儿童基金会的发言人默菲在戈马市对美国之音说，当地的人道情况“很糟糕”。
"Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes from intensified fighting over the past five days," he said. "We have 40 to 50,000 internally displaced people that are just outside of Goma and in Goma. These people are staying in small camps, also in churches, in schools and with host families in Goma."
他说：“成千上万的民众在过去5天猛烈的战斗中逃离家园。戈马市城内外大约有4万到5万名流离失所的人。这些人待在小型难民区、教堂和学校里，或者他们亲友在戈马城里的住房内。”
Murthy says there are also reports of thousands of people fleeing in other areas of North Kivu province, where aid agencies have not been able to reach them.
默菲说，还有报导说，数千人逃离北基伍省其它地区，援助机构没能抵达那里。
He says there is growing concern about the physical and emotional state of those fleeing the conflict. "Often the people who have fled their homes, fled with very little if anything. They haven't eaten in days or eaten very little," said Murthy.
他说，那些逃离冲突的人的身体和心理状况越来越让人担心。默菲说：“逃离家园的人经常一无所有。他们几天没有吃东西或者几乎没吃。”
"They haven't had access to healthcare. Oftentimes children are separated from their families during displacement, which makes them more prone to abuse, exploitation and violence. We're very worried that there could be an outbreak of diseases or epidemics of cholera, which is very common here and measles. Also, when we have massive population displacement we see skyrocketing malnutrition rates," he added.
“他们得不到医疗。儿童经常在流离失所期间和家人分离，让他们更容易受到虐待、剥削或者暴力。我们非常担心会爆发疫症，或者爆发霍乱、麻疹之类的传染病，疟疾在这里很常见。还有，如果有大批人流离失所，营养不良的比例会迅速增加。”
Rebel leader Nkunda says his forces are defending ethnic Tutsis in the area against Rwandan Hutu fighters, who fled to Congo after Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Since that time, simmering ethnic tension, unrest and open warfare have broken out periodically.
Murthy says the cease-fire has afforded aid agencies a window of opportunity to distribute food and supplies, including high energy biscuits for children. But, he warns the situation remains very tenuous and he said the need for stability is crucial to get help to those in need.
默菲说，停火协议让援助机构能够有机会分发食品和物资，包括给儿童的高能量饼干。但是，他警告说，局势仍然非常艰难。他说，局势稳定对帮助贫困民众至关重要。 |