VOA常速英语:Urging South Sudan to Facilitate Aid Delivery

The people of South Sudan are in trouble.More than two decades of north-south conflict followed by over two years of factional fighting have further weakened an already fragile nation.The insecurity has limited farmers’ access to plant their fields and devastated livestock, resulting in inadequate food production.
南苏丹人民处于困境之中。二十多年的南北冲突，两年多的派系斗争，使本就脆弱的国家更加不堪一击。国家的不安定使农民们种不了地，养不了牲畜，最终导致粮食产量的不足。

Today, South Sudan has the world’s highest inflation rates.“South Sudan’s economy is collapsing, its people struggle to find enough to eat, and human rights violations and abuses continue with impunity,”said Bob Leavitt, USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance.
如今，南苏丹的通胀率为世界最高。“南苏丹的经济正在崩溃，人们到处寻找食物，侵犯和践踏人权的行为不受惩罚，”美国国际开发署负责民主、冲突和人道主义救援事务的副助理署长鲍勃·莱维特说道。

To date, some 2.5 million South Sudanese have fled their homes, in search of food and safe haven from violence.This year, half the country’s population, over 6 million people, need humanitarian assistance.
迄今为止，大约有250万南苏丹人逃离了他们的家园，去寻找食物和远离暴乱的避风港。今年，需要人道主义援助的南苏丹人民多达600多万，占南苏丹总人口的一半。

The United States is South Sudan’s largest donor.Working through the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and in collaboration with various partners,the U.S. government has so far provided nearly $1.6 billion in humanitarian assistance for conflict-affected people in South Sudan and South Sudanese refugees.
美国是南苏丹的最大捐赠国。在美国国际开发署（USAID）与各方的共同努力下，美国政府共向南苏丹受战乱影响的人们和难民们提供了近16亿美元的人道主义援助。

But the going has been tough, partly because it is so difficult to reach many of the communities most in need of aid.One of the reasons is because although the parties to the conflict “are obligated under the peace agreement to allow humanitarian aid to flow without interference,aid workers continue to deal with lengthy negotiations, numerous checkpoints along major supply routes, and other obstacles,such as informal taxation and harassment, ” said Deputy Assistant Administrator Leavitt.
但是人道主义援助之路并非坦途，部分原因是救援人员很难进入那些最需要援助的社区。“其中一个原因是，虽然和平协议规定冲突各方有义务允许人道主义援助进入，且不得加以任何干涉，但是在主要的补给路线上，救援人员仍然面临冗长的谈判、无数的检查站，以及其他障碍，诸如非正式税收和干扰，”副助理署长鲍勃·莱维特说道。

“While we have been able to reach communities trapped in the crossfire through ad-hoc negotiations,parties to the conflict have not yet demonstrated the political will to grant full and unfettered access nationwide.”
“虽然我们可以通过特设谈判抵达困于战火之中的社区，但是冲突各方尚未表现出完全允许救援人员自由进出全国各地的政治意愿。”