也门混乱或出现人道主义灾难

Yemen’s violent conflict has intensified in the run up to a five-day ceasefire scheduled to start on Tuesday as aid experts warn that the war-ravaged country is close to a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

在定于周二开始的为期5天的停火开始之前，也门的暴力冲突已大大升级。救援专家警告说，这一饱受战火蹂躏的国家已接近一场“人道主义灾难”。

The Saudi-led coalition, which launched an aerial bombing campaign in March to dislodge Houthi rebels who had seized control of the capital, struck the northern city of Saada at the weekend after proposing the ceasefire. Reports also emerged that Saudi warplanes had bombed the Sana’a home of the Houthis’ ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who later spoke to news channels outside the damaged building.

今年3月，以沙特为首的多国联盟向也门发动了空袭，以赶走已控制也门首都的胡塞(Houthi)叛军。周末，该同盟轰炸了也门北部城市萨达，并宣布了将于周二开始停火的消息。还有报道称，沙特战机轰炸了胡塞武装盟友、也门前总统阿卜杜拉•萨利赫(Ali Abdullah Saleh)位于萨那的住宅。萨利赫后来在被这栋被毁坏的建筑前，向新闻媒体发表了讲话。

In spite of the renewed strikes on the Houthis’ heartland, the group said it would accept “any truce that will service the nation’s welfare”.

尽管胡塞武装的核心地带遭遇了新一轮空袭，该组织已表示会接受“任何有利也门国家利益的停火协议”。

But the UN’s humanitarian co-ordinator for Yemen said on Saturday that the “indiscriminate bombing”, which came after a four-hour warning, contravened international humanitarian law.

不过，联合国也门人道主义协调员约翰内斯•范德库拉乌(Johannes van der Klaauw)周六表示，在警告四小时就后发动“狂轰滥炸”的行为，违反了国际人道主义法律。

“Many civilians are effectively trapped in Saada, as they are unable to access transport because of fuel shortages,” Johannes van der Klaauw said in a statement.

他在一份声明中表示：“由于燃料紧缺导致无法搭乘交通工具，许多市民实际上被困在了萨达。”

A Saudi-led blockade of the country has been in place since late March and has nearly exhausted Yemen’s dwindling supplies of fuel and food.

自3月底以来，沙特已带头对也门实施了封锁。这一举措令也门日渐减少的燃料及食品供应接近枯竭。

Petrol stations have already run dry in the capital, Sana’a, residents say, while supplies are so scarce in north Yemen that prices have risen as much as tenfold, according to charity Oxfam.

萨那居民表示，该市各加油站的油料早已用光。同时，根据慈善机构乐施会(Oxfam)的说法，由于也门北部物资供应匮乏，当地物价已升至原来的十倍。

Supplies of staples such as rice as well as medicines and other basic goods are also running out and cannot be transported because of fuel shortages, aid officials say, with one government economist estimating that northwest Yemen could run out of basic goods within two weeks.

此外，救援官员表示，大米等主食、药品及其他基本物资也已耗尽，而燃料短缺则导致这些物资无法运抵当地。一名政府经济学家估计，也门西北部的基本物资或许会在两周内耗尽。

Aid workers and government officials also warn that fuel shortages pose a grave threat to Yemen’s water and electricity supplies, as well as to its transport network, amid predictions that the country of 24m people will grind to a halt.

救援人员及政府官员还警告说，除了运输网络，燃油紧缺还严重威胁到也门的水电供应。同时，多方预计这个2400万人的国家将陷入停顿。

“The idea that the country will come to a complete standstill is very real,” Mr van der Klaauw told the FT last week.

上周，范德库拉乌告诉英国《金融时报》：“那种认为也门将陷入彻底停顿的想法非常现实。”

“It’s very, very alarming — we need to address the humanitarian crisis before it is too late.”

“我们需在一切都已太晚之前，解决这场人道主义危机——这一点非常非常令人担心。”