VOA标准英语2011--Frustration Mounts As Somalis Wait for F

Frustration¹ Mounts As Somalis Wait for Famine Relief

Humanitarian² groups in famine-hit Somalia say thousands are dying while deliveries of desperately³ needed aid from big international agencies may be weeks, perhaps months away.
The delays are adding to the frustrations⁴ of aid providers overwhelmed by the human tragedy unfolding in the Horn of Africa.
Each day brings new evidence of the magnitude of the famine gripping Somalia. At Mogadishu’s Banadir Hospital, the main intake⁵ center for severe malnutrition⁶ cases, pediatrician Dr. Lul Mohammed says the number of new cases is staggering.
"I see an average 150-200 children every day. Every day we see 2 or 3 children dying. In July 90 children died, 3,155 were admitted in July. August is same. The number (dying) is increasing because they are coming later. All are severe. They have 2-3 things together. Sometimes severe malnutrition, severe dehydration⁷, severe anemia⁸, and the survival rate is very low," Mohammed said.
Despite these high death rates, those who make it to Banadir Hospital are considered the lucky few. Dr. Iftiqar Mohammed of the Islamic Relief Agency in Somalia says most famine victims die without ever seeing a doctor.
"The mortality rate is, it is difficult to figure out what is the number. Yesterday at one camp, 7 children died, and they (were) buried. Day before yesterday 9, (at a camp that) has only 1,600 households," Mohammed said.
Dr. Mohammed says the latest fear is that the famine has triggered a cholera⁹ epidemic¹⁰ in the tent camps that have sprung up all around Mogadishu as families stream into the capital from rural areas held by the al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab militant¹¹ group.
"Our concern now is whether it can be cholera outbreak. We don’t know. We know diarrhea outbreak is there, but we are not sure whether it is cholera. But today’s and yesterday’s admissions at Banadir alert us whether it may be a cholera outbreak," Mohammed said.
Dr. Mohammed worries the aid on the way from the big international humanitarian agencies may not arrive in time. The World Food Program and others have little or no infrastructure¹² for delivering aid in Somalia. They say even if tons of food arrives at Mogadishu port, getting it to those most in need will be difficult and dangerous.
The Sri Lankan physician is openly dismissive of the United Nations agencies based in nearby Kenya charged with providing aid in Somalia. He says their vantage point in Nairobi leaves them with no idea how bad conditions are.
"When we are sitting in Nairobi you don’t feel the severity of the situation here. Since you don’t see by your own eyes, you rely only on data and information gathering¹³ from the field. Figures only, but you don’t see the reality. But when you come here, that’s what we would prefer the UN organizations, UNICEF, WHO everyone, make a field visit and see, not just confined with the airport, come mingle¹⁴ with the IDPs, (displaced people) hear them, what is the need, and see what is going on," Mohammed said.
News agency reports reaching Somalia say the big push is on in world capitals to gather the cash and the supplies of food and other life-saving materials for Somalia as fast as possible. A consortium of doctors and health professionals from Arab countries is due to arrive within days, and the head of the UN disaster relief organization OCHA is making an emergency visit to Mogadishu.
But for those doctors and parents watching children die each day, the frustrations are mounting. They ask, “how long will it take, and how many more must die?"

 

1 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

2 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。

3 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

4 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

5 intake   

n.吸入，纳入；进气口，入口

参考例句：

• Reduce your salt intake.减少盐的摄入量。
• There was a horrified intake of breath from every child.所有的孩子都害怕地倒抽了一口凉气。

6 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

7 dehydration   

n.脱水，干燥

参考例句：

• He died from severe dehydration.他死于严重脱水。
• The eyes are often retracted from dehydration.眼睛常因脱水而凹陷。

8 anemia   

n.贫血，贫血症

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。
• I was put on iron tablets for my anemia.我曾因贫血吃补铁药片。

9 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。

10 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

11 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

12 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。

13 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

14 mingle   

vt.使混合，使相混；vi.混合起来；相交往

参考例句：

• If we mingle with the crowd,we should not be noticed.如果我们混在人群中，就不会被注意到。
• Oil will not mingle with water.油和水不相融。