§Week1:地中海船難

Number of Syrian refugees rises above 2 million, U.N. agency says

Every 15 seconds, a Syrian becomes a refugee, and those witnessing the violence unfolding(發展) on the ground don't believe military action against the regime(政權) would bring relief(解脫).

While a doctor who treats refugees says the regime has a history of becoming more vicious(惡毒) when backed into a corner, one Syrian says he doesn't believe strikes(罷工) against Bashar al-Assad's(巴沙爾·阿薩德，現任敘利亞總統兼武裝部隊總司令)forces would be effective because the regime would protect its own people and leave the rest to die so it could blame(責備) the massacre(大屠殺) on the United States.

"We are stuck in the middle, between the Russians and the Americans, the Iranians and the Saudis, and we are the victims," the man said.

The United Nations' refugee agency said Tuesday that the number of Syrians who have fled(逃離) their war-ravaged(飽受戰爭蹂躪) country has now risen to more than 2 million.

A year ago, that number was 230,671.

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"Syria is haemorrhaging(出血) women, children and men who cross borders(邊界) often with little more than the clothes on their backs," the UNHCR said.

The increase of nearly 1.8 million people over the past 12 months is an "alarming" trend, the agency said, warning that there is "no sign of this tragic outflow ending."

Also disturbing is that many of the refugees are escaping only to find themselves in a different sort of danger.

Hayam, a 25-year-old mother of three in neighboring Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, said she and a friend visited a local organization that was distributing food and were told they needed to drive to a nearby warehouse(倉庫). There, they encountered a group of men.

"They attacked us. We started to scream and cry," the woman said, explaining the men attempted to rape them and asked, "Why are you scared? Nothing happened. You are married. Why are you afraid of this? It's not your first time."

Hayam said she couldn't report the men.

"They will kill me, or they will send me to my parents, and they will kill me. We are a tribal society," she said.

Another refugee, 14-year-old Rahaf in Beirut, said she was cornered by teenagers while on her way to clean houses, which she's been doing for extra money.

"They scared me. They made me hate life," the girl said.

Her mother said her daughter told her, "Mama, I would rather die in our country than have these problems."

The United Nations has said that more than 100,000 people -- including many civilians -- have been killed in Syria since a popular uprising spiraled(狂飆) into a civil war in 2011.

"Syria has become the great tragedy of this century -- a disgraceful (可恥)humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history," said Antonio Guterres, the United Nations' high commissioner for refugees.

Structure of the Lead：

Who: numbers of syrian refugees

When: 2011/3

What: Syrian refugees escape to Europe. Some women and girls are forced to do which they don’t like.

Why: There is a long-time civil war in Syria and many refugee have been faced many problems since they escape from their countries.

Where: Syrian and surrounding countries

How: not given

Keywords:

regime(政權)

massacre(大屠殺)

war-ravaged(飽受戰爭蹂躪)

haemorrhaging(出血)

spiraled(狂飆)

disgraceful (可恥)

borders(邊界)

fled(逃離)

unfolding(發展)

relief(解脫)