COVID-19 upends ‘entire generation’ of 600 million South Asian children

23 June 2020

Health UN

Without urgent action, COVID-19 will continue to unravel decades of progress across South Asia, destroying the“hopes and futures of an entire generation”, warns a new report released on Tuesday by the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF.

Lives Upended, notes that the rapidly advancing coronavirus pandemic, expanding across a region that is home to a quarter of the world’s population, is particularly affecting health and educational advances for children.

upend v. /?p?end/? [ VN ] to turn sb/sth upside down 翻倒；倒放；使顛倒? The bicycle lay upended in a ditch. 自行車翻倒在一條小水溝里。

Unravel v. /?n?r?vl/??

1.if you unravel threads that are twisted, woven or knitted, or if they unravel , they become separated （把纏或織在一起的線）解開，拆散，松開 ?I unravelled the string and wound it into a ball. 我把繩子解開并繞成一個球。

2.[ V ] ( of a system, plan, relationship, etc. 系統(tǒng)、計劃、關(guān)系等 ) to start to fail or no longer stay together as a whole 解體；崩潰；瓦解

3.to explain sth that is difficult to understand or is mysterious; to become clearer or easier to understand 闡釋；說明；澄清；變得清楚易懂

UNICEF: /?ju?n?sef/United Nations International Children's Fund聯(lián)合國兒童基金會

“The side-effects of the pandemic across South Asia, including the lockdown and other measures, have been damaging for children in numerous ways”, said Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for the vast region. “But the longer-term impact of the economic crisis on children will be on a different scale entirely”.

side-effects:副作用? ?numerous/?nju?m?r?s/? ( formal ) existing in large numbers SYN many 眾多的；許多的

Catastrophic consequences

The report illustrates the disastrous toll of the virus on some 600 million South Asian children, such as growing food insecurity and the disruption of immunization, nutrition and other vital health services, that could be potentially life-threatening for around 459,000 over the next six months.?

Catastrophic /?k?t??str?f?k/ 1.ADJ Something that is catastrophic involves or causes a sudden terrible disaster. 災(zāi)難性的?? A tidal wave caused by the earthquake hit the coast causing catastrophic damage.?地震引發(fā)的海嘯襲擊了海岸，造成了災(zāi)難性的損失。2.ADJ If you describe something as catastrophic, you mean that it is very bad or unsuccessful. 極糟的; 失敗的

disastrous adj. /d??zɑ?str?s/? very bad, harmful or unsuccessful 極糟糕的；災(zāi)難性的；完全失敗的

toll /t??l/??

1.[ C ] money that you pay to use a particular road or bridge （道路、橋梁的）通行費

?motorway tolls 高速公路通行費 ?a toll road/bridge 收費道路╱橋梁

2.[ Cusually sing. ] the amount of damage or the number of deaths and injuries that are caused in a particular war, disaster, etc. （戰(zhàn)爭、災(zāi)難等造成的）毀壞；傷亡人數(shù)

?The official death toll has now reached 7 000. 官方公布的死亡人數(shù)現(xiàn)已達(dá)7 000人。

3.[ sing. ] the sound of a bell ringing with slow regular strokes （緩慢而有規(guī)律的）鐘聲

4.[ C ] ( NAmE ) a charge for a telephone call that is calculated at a higher rate than a local call 長途電話費

IDIOMS 習(xí)語

take a heavy ?toll (on sb/sth) take its ?toll (on sb/sth)：to have a bad effect on sb/sth; to cause a lot of damage, deaths, suffering, etc. 產(chǎn)生惡果；造成重大損失（或傷亡、災(zāi)難等）

作動詞：when a bell tolls or sb tolls it, it is rung slowly many times, especially as a sign that sb has died （緩慢而有規(guī)律地）敲（鐘）；（尤指）鳴（喪鐘）

immunization /??mjuna??ze??n/ 免疫

Meanwhile, school closures have pushed more than 430 million children into remote learning, which has only partially filled the gap as many households in rural areas lack both internet access and electricity.?

At the same time, concerns are heightening that some disadvantaged students may join the nearly 32 million children who were already out of school, before COVID-19 struck.?

This all comes against a backdrop of children struggling with depression and a surge in calls to help hotlines, as they suffer violence and abuse during home confinement.?

backdrop /?b?kdr?p/1.a painted piece of cloth that is hung behind the stage in a theatre as part of the scenery （舞臺的）背景幕布?2.everything that can be seen around an event that is taking place, but which is not part of that event （事件發(fā)生時）周圍陪襯景物??The mountains provided a dramatic backdrop for our picnic. 群山如畫，給我們的野餐平添景色。3.the general conditions in which an event takes place, which sometimes help to explain that event （事態(tài)或活動的）背景

surge n /s??d?/??

1.~ (of sth) a sudden increase of a strong feeling （強烈感情的）突發(fā)·a surge of excitement 一陣興奮

2.~ (in/of sth) a sudden increase in the amount or number of sth; a large amount of sth （數(shù)量的）急劇上升，激增；大量；一大批?a surge in consumer spending 消費開支的激增

3.~ (of sth) a sudden, strong forward or upward movement 奔涌向前；突然的向上運動

4.a sudden increase in the flow of electrical power through a system （電流）浪涌

hotline：hot-line 熱線電話? ?home confinement：居家隔離?

confinement n. /k?n?fa?nm?nt/??

1.[ U ] the state of being forced to stay in a closed space, prison, etc., the act of putting sb there 禁閉；監(jiān)禁；關(guān)押?her confinement to a wheelchair 半步離不開輪椅對她的束縛

2.[ UC ] ( formal ) ( old-fashioned ) the time when a woman gives birth to a baby 分娩；產(chǎn)期??the expected date of confinement 預(yù)產(chǎn)期

The report notes that life-saving vaccination campaigns against measles, polio and other diseases must resume, along with work to help an estimated 7.7 million children – more than half the global total – who are suffering from severe wasting, which impairs physical and mental development.?

measles/?mi?zlz/麻疹? ?polio n. /?p??li??/ 脊髓灰質(zhì)炎；小兒麻痹癥

Wasting：a wasting disease or illness is one that causes sb to gradually become weaker and thinner （指疾?。┫男缘?，使消瘦的，使虛弱的

impair v. /?m?pe?(r)/? [ VN ] ( formal ) to damage sth or make sth worse 損害；削弱

Moreover, as soon as possible, schools should reopen with adequate handwashing and other physical distancing precautions in place.?

adequate：?/??d?kw?t/? ~ (for sth)~ (to do sth) enough in quantity, or good enough in quality, for a particular purpose or need 足夠的；合格的；合乎需要的

precaution n. /pr??k???n/ 常用復(fù)數(shù)

1.~ (against sth) something that is done in advance in order to prevent problems or to avoid danger 預(yù)防措施；預(yù)防；防備?safety precautions 安全防范措施

2.precautions [ pl. ] a way of referring to contraception 避孕措施

Economic turmoil

The economic shock triggered by COVID-19 is hitting families hard across the region, with large-scale job losses, wage cuts and remittance losses from overseas workers and through tourism.?

turmoil n. /?t??m??l/? [ Using. ] a state of great anxiety and confusion 動亂；騷動；混亂；焦慮? emotional/mental/political turmoil 紛亂的情緒；精神上的混亂；政治動亂

large-scale job losses 大規(guī)模失業(yè)? wage cuts：工資減少

remittance losses：匯款減少，remittance在以前的文章中提過，是銀行匯款的意思。南亞外出的國際勞務(wù)很多，新冠疫情讓這些異國親人的國際匯款減少。

According to UNICEF projections, as many as 120 million more children could be pushed into poverty and food insecurity over the next six months, joining some 240 million children already classified as poor.?

projection /pr??d??k??n/N-COUNT? A projection is an estimate of a future amount. 預(yù)計；（影片等）投映

To mitigate the impact, the report maintains that Governments should immediately direct more resources towards social protection schemes, including emergency universal child benefits and school feeding programmes.?

“Putting such measures in place now will help the countries of South Asia transition faster from the humanitarian crisis caused by COVID-19 to a resilient and sustainable development model, with long term benefits for child wellbeing, the economy, and social cohesion”, said Ms. Gough.?

humanitarian crisis：人道主義危機? humanitarian adj. /hju??m?n??te?ri?n/

a resilient and sustainable development model：一個可迅速恢復(fù)、可持續(xù)發(fā)展的模式

child wellbeing：兒童福利 social cohesion：社會凝聚力

cohesion n. /k???hi??n/??1.( formal ) the act or state of keeping together 黏合；結(jié)合；凝聚力?social/political/economic cohesion 社會╱政治╱經(jīng)濟(jì)凝聚性

2.( physics 物chemistry 化 ) the force causing molecules of the same substance to stick together 內(nèi)聚力

Tackling COVID-related issues affecting children

?Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to health and social services staff.

?Scale up home learning solutions for those without internet access, such as using more paper and mobile phone-based materials.

?Address widescale need for water, toilets and hygiene services in schools and health care facilities.

?Work with religious leaders and others to address pandemic-driven myths and hate-speech.

原文鏈接：https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/06/1066842