9-2-2005

新奧爾良上萬災民撤離至他地 (Thousands Being Evacuated in New Orleans)

成千上萬的災民仍在撤離新奧爾良市。這座被水浸泡的城市陷入一片混亂狀態。災民緊急要求提供食品和飲用水。 布希總統星期五動身視察新奧爾良以及遭受颶風災難的墨西哥灣其他地區。布希說，成噸的食品和水已經在送往災區的途中。 布希說，對這次災難做出的反應是不可接受的。

數萬人集中在新奧爾良市大圓頂體育館和會議中心，躲避颶風和大水。那裏的衛生條件迅速惡化。 新奧爾良市長雷.納金在接受電臺採訪時猛烈批評聯邦政府對災難的反應，並且緊急呼籲要求增援和援助。 許多災民說，從颶風星期一襲擊以來，他們就一直沒有食物、藥品和飲用水。

1萬2千名災民已經乘坐大客車離開大圓頂體育館來到560公里外的德州休斯頓市的阿斯托洛圓頂體育館。 這座體育館現在已經人滿為患；新到的災民正在被送往其他地方。

新奧爾良市發生幾處大火，哄搶事件不斷。有報導說，手拿武器的災民在製造暴力事件。 在這場災難中喪生的老年人的屍體停放在露天。

Thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina are still being evacuated from New Orleans, a flood-ravaged and now chaotic city, as refugees continue urgent pleas for food and water. President Bush, leaving the White House today (Friday) to tour New Orleans and other affected Gulf Coast areas, said tons of food and water are on the way. He called the disaster response unacceptable.

Tens of thousands of people were in the New Orleans convention center and Superdome sports arena for shelter from the battering storm and flooding. Sanitary conditions there quickly deteriorated. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin blasted the federal response to the disaster in a radio interview Thursday, making an urgent plea for reinforcements and aid. Many refugees say they have been without food, medicine and water since the storm hit Monday.

Twelve thousand refugees were bussed 560 kilometers from the Superdome to Houston's Astrodome (in Texas), which is now filled to capacity. Refugees are now being sent elsewhere.

Large fires rage through New Orleans, and looting and reports of violence by armed refugees continue. Bodies of elderly people who died during the ordeal are lying in the open.

國際社會願向美提供各類援助 (UN, Foreign Nations Offer Hurricane Aid)

聯合國秘書長安南表示願意與國際夥伴合作，向卡特裏娜颶風災民提供救助。安南星期四說，美國一貫對世界各地的災難慷慨解囊， 現在美國自己遭受了重創。安南說，颶風造成的破壞比人們預先估計的嚴重得多。

美國國務院發言人對外國政府和國際組織提出的援助表示歡迎。他說，有至少20個國家表示願意援助美國。 這些國家包括世界大國俄羅斯和中國，也有薩爾瓦多和牙買加這樣的小國。委內瑞拉提出，鋻於美國重要的石油設施被颶風破壞， 委內瑞拉願意向美國提供經過加工的石油產品。加拿大表示，加拿大正在集結緊急救援人員和飛機、水凈化廠和發電機等設備。

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has offered to work with international partners to provide disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Annan said Thursday that the United States has always been generous in responding to disasters around the world, and now it has suffered a major blow. He said the hurricane damage is far worse than anyone first expected.

A spokesman for the U.S. State Department welcomed all offers of assistance from foreign governments and international organizations. He said offers have come from at least 20 nations, from world powers like Russia and China to small countries like El Salvador and Jamaica. Venezuela has offered refined petroleum products, since important U.S. oil facilities were damaged in the storm. And Canada says it is readying emergency crews and equipment, including aircraft, water purification plants and electrical generators.