VOA慢速英语--阿富汗的污染比战争更危险?

Yousuf and his family left their home in eastern Afghanistan eight years ago. They went to the city of Kabul to escape war, but they could not escape sadness.

Five of Yousuf's children died in the Afghan capital, not from violence, but from air pollution.

One by one, each child developed a chest infection and other health problems from the pollution. The children never made it to age seven, Yousuf told The Associated Press.

The 60-year-old has nine surviving children.

There are no official numbers on how many Afghans die of pollution-related disorders¹. But the research group State of Global Air said that in 2017, more than 26,000 deaths could be linked to air pollution.

In comparison, 3,483 civilians² were killed that year in the Afghan war, the United Nations reports.

Kabul has become one of the most polluted cities in the world. It rates at the top of the list among other polluted capitals such as India's New Delhi or Beijing, China.

Kabul is home to about 6 million people. On many days, a mix of smog and smoke lies over the city. In some cases, families burn whatever they can to keep warm in cold weather. The air in their own homes then poisons them.

Household pollution was partly to blame for at least 19,400 of Kabul's deaths in 2017, the State of Global Air study found.

Yousuf lives in a camp that is home to more than a hundred families.

"We are so poor, and we have lots of problems...My children collect garbage from dump yards and we use it for cooking and heating to keep the kids warm," he said.

Many years of war have worsened the damage to Afghanistan's environment. Environmental issues are less important for a government struggling with security issues and a sinking economy.

Thirty or 40 years ago, "it was a wish for people to come to Kabul and breath this air," said Ezatullah Sediqi, deputy³ director for the National Environmental Protection Agency, or NEPA. But in the wars since, "we lost all our urban infrastructure⁴ for water, electricity, public transportation, green areas, all these things," he said.

Kabul's environmental department has launched a program to control old vehicles, one major source of pollution.

"Fighting pollution is as important as fighting terrorism," said Mohammad Kazim Humayoun, the department's director.

Afghan officials warn that this winter will likely be colder than usual.

At Kabul's Indira Gandhi Children's Hospital, doctors say they have seen the numbers of patients with pollution-related health problems increase.

Saifullah Abassin, a specialist trainer at the hospital, said his hospital ward⁵ has a capacity of 10 patients but often has three times that number.

The government has launched an environmental awareness⁶ campaign. City officials have also called on people to stop burning garbage for heat and instead use fuel.

But there are other steps officials need to take, such as enacting⁷ a plan to stop unplanned development and creating more green spaces.

Sediqi, of the NEPA, said that ever since the first post-Taliban government was created in 2001, there was no planning on urban infrastructure.

"Unfortunately, that led to unplanned development," he said. "So now we have numerous urban problems and challenges and organizational challenges, which is causing the environmental pollution."

Words in This Story

smog – n. fog or fog combined with smoke and other pollutants⁸

garbage – n. wasted food and other refuse

kids – n. children

infrastructure – n. the basic equipment and structures that are needed for a country or area to operate

source – n. a person place or thing from which something comes

ward – n. a separate room or area in a hospital

capacity – n. the largest amount or number that can be held or contained

awareness – n. knowledge or recognition⁹

unfortunately – adv. sadly, regrettably

challenge – n. a problem or test

1 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 deputy   

n.代理人，代表，副职；adj.代理的，副的

参考例句：

• John will act as a deputy for me during my absence.我离开期间，约翰将代理我的职务。
• She is the deputy headmistress of the school.她是那所学校的代理校长。

4 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。

5 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

6 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

7 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

8 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 recognition   

n.承认，认可，认出，认识

参考例句：

• The place has changed beyond recognition.这地方变得认不出来了。
• A sudden smile of recognition flashed across his face.他脸上掠过一丝笑意，表示认识对方。