Sudan war: World's worst humanitarian crisis

From BBC Learning English.

This is Learning English from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

In this programme: Sudan war called 'world's worst humanitarian crisis'.

Hello, I'm Neil.

And I'm Pippa.

In this programme we look at one big news story

and the vocabulary in the headlines that will help you understand it.

You can find all the vocabulary and headlines from this episode,

as well as a worksheet, on our website: BBC Learning English dot com.

So, let's hear more about this story.

Paramilitaries - that's unofficial

armies - have declared a rival government in Sudan two years

into the civil war in the country.

The war has been described by charities and aid agencies

as the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world today.

More than 12 million people have been forced to leave their homes

because of the war,

and charities say 30 million people in the country need aid,

such as food and medication.

Let's have our first headline.

Two years of war in Sudan,

a devastating combination of record displacement and dwindling aid.

That's from the UNHCR, the UN refugee agency.

That headline again from the UNHCR – Two years of war in Sudan,

a devastating combination of record displacement and dwindling aid.

This headline is about the problems impacting people living in Sudan

because of the war, such as displacement,

which is where people are forced to leave their homes.

We're interested in the word 'dwindling'.

So what does it mean if something is dwindling, Pippa?

Well, if something is dwindling, it's gradually becoming smaller

or less frequent.

Yes. So the headline is talking about dwindling aid.

This means the amount of money and help for Sudan

is gradually getting smaller. Here,

'dwindling' is an adjective, but we can also use the verb 'dwindle'.

For example, you could say letter writing is dwindling.

People don't do it as much any more.

We often hear the word 'dwindling' in news stories

when we're talking about something that is getting less attention.

For example, you might hear about dwindling support for a politician

or dwindling hopes of finding survivors after a natural disaster.

We've had 'dwindling': gradually getting smaller or less common.

For example, the company's dwindling profits are worrying for investors.

This is Learning English

from the News, our podcast about the news headlines.

Today we're talking about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan

after two years of war.

The civil war in Sudan has left lots of people facing hunger

and having to leave their homes.

It's also been very difficult for journalists to report

on what's happening in the country.

And our next headline is about this.

This one's from BBC News.

Sudan's years of war -

BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fear.

That's Sudan's years of war -

BBC smuggles in phones to reveal hunger and fear.

And that headline from BBC News.

This headline is about the situation in Sudan and

it says the BBC smuggles in phones.

What does that mean?

Well, 'smuggle' is a verb,

and it means 'to take things or people from or to a place secretly'.

So, in the headline, 'BBC smuggles in phones' –

this means the phones have been taken into Sudan secretly.

This is because many journalists have not been allowed to access places

where the war is happening,

and so the phones have been used by local people

to tell journalists their stories.

We most commonly hear the word 'smuggle' in news stories about crime.

So, for example, drugs and weapons can be smuggled in or out of a country.

In the headline, 'smuggle' is used not to talk about a crime,

but to show that journalists had to keep their actions secret.

And we have a word for someone who smuggles,

and they are called a 'smuggler'.

And we commonly hear about drug smugglers and also people smugglers.

We've had 'smuggle' - take things or people from or to a place secretly.

For example, the bank robber smuggled in a gun under his coat.

This is Learning English from the News from BBC Learning English.

We're talking about the humanitarian crisis in Sudan,

two years after a civil war in the country began.

Earlier this week, politicians gathered at a meeting in the UK

to talk about the war in Sudan and its impact on local people.

The UK's foreign secretary says he wants to find a pathway to peace,

a way to stop the fighting in the country.

And our next headline is about what might happen next in the war.

This headline's from Semafor:

Analysis: Sudan has an opportunity to turn the corner on war.

That headline again from Semafor –

Analysis: Sudan has an opportunity to turn the corner on war.

We can tell by the word 'analysis' that this headline is looking in more detail

at the story and its impact.

Yes, and we're interested in the phrase 'turn the corner on'.

Yes. If you literally turn a corner,

maybe when you're driving, you change direction.

And if a situation turns the corner, it metaphorically changes direction.

It improves or makes progress.

So in the headline, Sudan has the opportunity to turn the corner on war.

It's saying that Sudan has a chance to improve the situation in the country

and end the fighting.

We can say that 'something has turned the corner',

or we can 'turn the corner on something', like in the headline,

and we can also say 'turn a corner'.

The phrase 'turn the corner' is commonly used in news stories

about serious situations that seem difficult to change,

but where things have improved or are improving.

But you can also use it in everyday speech.

For example, my friend's daughter was really badly behaved in school,

but recently she's been much better.

She's really turned a corner.

We've had: 'turn the corner': improve a situation.

For example, the country's really turned the corner on youth unemployment.

Lots more young people are finding work.

That's it for this episode of Learning English from the News.

We'll be back next week with another news story.

If you've enjoyed this programme, try our Learning English for Work podcast,

which can help you improve your English at work.

You'll find the latest episodes at BBC Learning English dot com.

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Bye for now. Goodbye.