VOA常速英语2016--大批索马里难民亟待返乡（在线收听）

大批索马里难民亟待返乡

A quarter century of civil war, exacerbated by the rise of the violent al Shabaab terror group and cyclical droughts of historic proportions has seen wave after wave of Somalis leaving their home country. Today, some 463,000 Somalis are living as refugees in camps in neighboring Kenya.

In many respects, the conditions in Somalia have been steadily improving--the government and economy are taking shape, Somali security forces are emerging, and al Shabaab has steadily lost territory due to the combined actions of the Somali government, international partners, and the African Union Mission in Somalia, or AMISOM forces.

And thanks to the Tri-partite agreement of 2014, refugees have been making their way home from Kenya. However, the country, its people living in Somalia and abroad, as well as repatriating refugees, are still in dire need of humanitarian help.

So, the United States is stepping up, said Secretary of State John Kerry during his recent visit to Kenya. “I am pleased to announce that the United States will be providing an additional $117 million more in support for refugees, returnees, and drought victims in the region, raising our total assistance just for this year to $265 million. And we will also contribute an additional $29 million to the UNHCR's new Supplementary Appeal in support of the safe and voluntary return of refugees to Somalia”

This sum includes new humanitarian assistance of more than $87 million in food and non-food help for refugees and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. Working through a number of humanitarian organizations, the United States will also provide aid and help improve conditions across Somalia, particularly in hard to reach areas of south-central Somalia. This aid includes support shelter, water sanitation, and hygiene, health and nutrition, and livelihoods programs for returnees in accessible areas of return.

The United States remains committed to helping address the serious humanitarian concerns in Somalia and continued protection and assistance for refugees in Kenya and elsewhere in the region, and continues to urge the international community to contribute more resources to humanitarian appeals to support durable solutions for Somali refugees.

25年的内战随着索马里激进组织青年党的崛起愈演愈烈，周而复始的旱灾猛烈来袭，这些天灾人祸让一批又一批索马里民众不得已离开了家乡。如今，有46.3万索马里民众在邻国肯尼亚以难民身份露宿扎营。

从很多方面来说，索马里的境况已稳步好转——索马里政府及其经济正在成型过程中，其安保力量也逐渐形成，且索马里激进组织青年党也因索马里政府、国际伙伴、非盟驻索马里特派团的联合行动而逐渐失去地盘。

除此之外，2014年的三方协议也让索马里难民得以回家。但是，无论是身在索马里内外的民众，还是被遣送回国的索马里民众，都亟需人道主义援助。

于是，美国就出现了。美国国务卿约翰最近在访问肯尼亚期间如是说道。“我很高兴地宣布，美国将为难民、返乡的群众、遭到旱灾侵袭的受害者们再提供1.17亿美元的援助资金。我们今年总计援助2.65亿美元。此外，我们还会为联合国难民组织的补给项目提供2900万美元的资金，以保证难民能够自愿、安全地返回索马里”。 这笔资金再次为肯尼亚和索马里的难民和旱灾受害者提供了人道主义援助，包括食物供给和非食物供给，总计超过8700万美元。通过与诸多人道主义组织的合作，美国将会在索马里全境提供援助，并提升人民生活水平，尤其是索马里很难获得援助的中南部地区。援助包括为返乡的索马里难民提供避难所、解决安全饮水、卫生、健康、营养、生计等方面的问题。

美国一向致力于帮助索马里人民解决迫在眉睫的人道主义问题，为肯尼亚和该地区的其他难民持续提供保护和援助，继续敦促国际社会为人道主义呼吁同更多的资源，为索马里难民提供长久的解决方案。