[ti:Portugal’s Roma Communities Suffer Economic Harm from Coronavirus] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]Portugal has increased government efforts to support the country's struggling [00:06.92]Roma communities during the coronavirus crisis. [00:12.92]But rights groups say more help is needed. [00:18.16]Many families have not been able to earn money since street markets and fairs were closed. [00:27.84]Portugal citizens have been under stay-at-home orders since March 18 [00:34.68]in an effort to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. [00:41.04]The country has about 37,000 people who belong to the minority Roma ethnic community. [00:51.28]Many Roma in Portugal – and in other European nations [00:56.24]– face discrimination, poverty and social isolation. [01:03.08]Portugal's government recently introduced additional measures for Roma communities [01:10.64]after 33 people at a settlement were confirmed to have COVID-19, the disease the virus causes. [01:22.08]The settlement in the country's southeastern Alentejo area is home to about 200 people. [01:31.84]After the coronavirus cases were discovered, the settlement was closed off and carefully cleaned. [01:40.92]Local officials then took food and medicine to the people as stay-at-home orders continued. [01:50.36]In the beginning, those in the settlement had to pay for the goods. [01:55.96]But Claudia Pereira, Secretary of State for Integration and Migration, told the Reuters news agency [02:05.88]that those who are not currently earning any money can now receive goods for free. [02:13.04]Pereira said the government and local officials are also working to provide support [02:21.36]to other Roma communities in need across the country. [02:27.68]"Some of these communities live in places with no conditions, in tents and camps," she said. [02:36.68]"Some don't have access to drinking water." [02:40.68]The lack of government support in the beginning led activist Bruno Goncalves [02:48.12]to lead efforts to buy food vouchers for some needy families. [02:54.48]Goncalves belongs to the organization Letras Nomadas, [03:00.16]which seeks to help Portugal's Roma communities. [03:05.32]Goncalves now fears government support will fail to reach everyone. [03:13.00]He said there is "hunger in the community" because of the closures of street markets and gatherings. [03:22.20]"Those who lived off selling two or three shirts a day are in a very complicated situation," he said. [03:30.96]"These people have no savings." [03:35.36]The government has introduced other measures to help hard-hit families during the coronavirus crisis. [03:44.76]These include the temporary suspension of electricity and water shutoffs, [03:51.00]as well as financial support for some housing payments. [03:56.88]But Goncalves said many Portuguese Roma, especially older people, [04:03.20]find it hard to complete the necessary paperwork to receive government help. [04:11.12]This is because there are several steps in the process and some community members cannot read. [04:19.92]Goncalves added, "The Roma are not counted. We are often forgotten." [04:26.64]I'm Bryan Lynn. [04:29.24]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM