UN: 22 Countries in Danger of Famine

联合国粮农组织：22穷国最缺粮

　



The United Nations food agency says 22 countries are particularly threatened by the global food crisis that has seen soaring prices increase hunger and led to protests and riots in some countries. The FAO says these countries are vulnerable because they suffer from chronic hunger and are forced to import food and fuel.

　

联合国粮农组织说，在目前的全球粮食危机中，22个贫穷国家受到的威胁最大。粮食和燃料价格暴涨导致越来越多的人遭受饥饿，并且在一些国家引起了抗议和暴乱。

The 22 countries particularly vulnerable to food security problems are listed in a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) prepared for a meeting next week in Rome. The U.N. food agency says these countries suffer from chronic hunger and are forced to import much of their food and fuel.

　

联合国粮农组织在一份为下个星期举行的会议所准备的报告中列出了22个食品问题最为严重的国家。粮农组织指出，这些国家长期以来一直存在饥饿问题，食品和燃料都严重倚赖进口。

FAO economist Kostas Stamoulis used Eritrea as an example, a country he said imports 100 percent of its petroleum.

　

联合国粮农组织的经济学家考斯塔斯.斯塔默里斯以厄立特里亚为例说，这个国家的石油百分之百依靠进口。

"They have to bear the burden of high petroleum import costs," he said. "They import 80 percent of the major grains produced in the country and they were hit by the fact that prices of major grains have increased substantially," he said.

　

“他们必须承受进口石油成本高昂的负担。他们百分之八十的主要粮食都倚赖进口。粮食价格大幅上升给他们的打击非常大。”

In addition, Stamoulis says nearly 75 percent of Eritrea's population is undernourished.

　

斯塔默里斯指出，厄立特里亚几乎百分之75的人处于半饥半饱营养不良的状态。

The FAO economist said all the countries on the threatened list had a higher than 30-percent hunger prevalence. Stamoulis said many of the endangered countries are in Africa.

　

这位联合国粮农组织的经济学家还说，在所有被列入粮食危机名单的国家中，百分之三十以上的人正忍饥挨饿，其中很多是非洲国家。

"African countries from the point of view of undernourishment are the ones that are overall in the worst situation than in other regions," he added. "The continent has extremely high prevalence of hunger."

　

“说到营养不良，非洲国家跟其他地区相比，总的来看，情况是最糟糕的。在非洲大陆，饥饿现象极为普遍。”

The FAO will host a conference that opens next Tuesday where delegates from all over the world will discuss high food prices and the challenges to reduce food insecurity, posed in the long-term by climate change and other factors. A number of world leaders are expected to attend.

　

联合国粮农组织下个星期二将在罗马主持召开一个关于全球粮食危机的会议。届时，来自世界各国的代表将讨论如何对付食品价格暴涨，以及如何在气候变化等因素影响下保障粮食供应。很多世界领导人都将出席这次会议。

The U.N. agency says the meeting will be a "historic chance" to re-launch the fight against hunger and poverty and boost agricultural production in developing countries.

　

联合国粮农组织说，这次会议将为重新发动一场战胜饥饿和贫困的全球运动提供一个历史性机会，尤其是帮助提高发展中国家的农业生产方面。斯塔默里斯说：

"We are trying to attract the attention of the international community and bring people in the same venue to make decisions, outline plans, set up strategies for facing the short and long-term consequences of high food prices for food security," he explained. "This is a high level conference on challenges. And we believe that a lot of these challenges must be faced through coordinated action among countries and not in isolation."

　

“我们试图引起国际社会的关注，让人们共同做出决定、草拟计划、制定战略，以解决食品价格暴涨给食品安全所带来的短期和长期问题。我们认为，其中的很多挑战都需要各国协调行动来共同面对，而不是孤军奋战。”

The FAO report says the conference should agree on plans to boost local food production and increase investments to stimulate production. It adds that leaders need to agree on assistance to the poor, including food subsidies and cash transfers.

　

联合国粮农组织的报告说，在下个星期的会议上，各国需要就如何增加粮食生产以及如何通过增加投资来刺激生产等问题取得一致意见。各国领导人还需要就如何帮助穷人达成协议，其中包括提供食品补贴和现金转让。