2006年VOA标准英语-Sudan Repatriation Resumes From Ethiopia, CAR

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
13 December 2006

The United Nations High Commissioner¹ for Refugees begins returning to south Sudan an estimated 11,000 refugees from Ethiopia, Wednesday, and another 8,000 from the Central African Republic, Saturday, to the homes they fled years ago. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva the agency expects the repatriation² operation to go on for the next six months.

The repatriation was suspended from Ethiopia in May when the rainy season made the roads impassable. In the case of the Central African Republic, U.N. refugee spokesman Ron Redmond says the operation came to a halt in April, following the closure of the border between the CAR and Sudan.

Sudanese refugee children sit in their makeshift classroom, Wednesday, April 19, 2006 in the refugee camp Kou Kou Angarana in Chad some 30 kilometers from the Sudan border

"There has been instability in the northern part of the Central African Republic, along some of the border areas. And, that is where some of these refugees are returning from - from camps in those areas," he said. "So, there was instability that was basically a reverberation³ of what has been happening in the Darfur region of western Sudan. And, that Darfur situation has had an impact on the Central African Republic, as well as southern Chad and eastern Chad."

Redmond says the UNHCR has reached an agreement with the government of the CAR to reopen the border, but only for the purpose of repatriating⁴ Sudanese refugees.

He says the agency will airlift 150 Sudanese refugees from the CAR, Saturday, to Tambura in Western Equatorial region of south Sudan. He says there are plans to organize three flights each week to repatriate⁵ 8,000 of the 10,000 refugees in Mboki camp who want to go home.

The UNHCR spokesman says today's operation consists of a convoy⁶ of 10 buses and five trucks, transporting 500 refugees from Ethiopian camps to their villages in southern Sudan's Blue Nile State. That trip is expected to take four days.

He says all refugees returning from Ethiopia and the Central African Republic will receive a package of relief items to help them re-start their lives. This includes three months of food, seeds and agricultural tools.

He says all returns are voluntary. He says hundreds of thousands of refugees and millions of internally displaced people are reluctant to go back because the infrastructure⁷ in south Sudan was destroyed during the long-running civil war.

 

"For example, they want schools for their children. They want clinics. They need clean water," he said. "They need the support structure so they can resume farming or whatever business they were involved in. And, a lot of that infrastructure is gone. So, it has been rather difficult."

Nevertheless, Redmond says more than 90,000 Sudanese refugees have returned home from neighboring countries. Most have gone back by themselves. He says only 18,000 have asked the UNHCR for help in returning.

An estimated 350,000 Sudanese refugees remain in exile in five neighboring countries. Another four million people are displaced within Sudan.

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

3 reverberation   

反响； 回响； 反射； 反射物

参考例句：

• It was green as an emerald, and the reverberation was stunning. 它就象翠玉一样碧绿，回响震耳欲聋。
• Just before dawn he was assisted in waking by the abnormal reverberation of familiar music. 在天将破晓的时候，他被一阵熟悉的，然而却又是反常的回声惊醒了。

4 repatriating   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Since banks are reducing overall lending, that means repatriating cash. 由于银行总的借贷额在下降，这就意味着资金必然国内回流。 来自互联网
• US immigration officials have again delayed moves start repatriating six-year-old Cuban shipwreck survivor Elian Gonzalez. 六岁的古巴海难幸存儿童埃利安非常幸运，美国移民局官员已将原本要遣返他的时间再次拖延。 来自互联网

5 repatriate   

v.遣返；返回；n.被遣返回国者

参考例句：

• The government safely repatriates victims.政府安全遣返了受害者。
• In this part,you need to formulate in detail repatriate the plan.在这一部分，你需要制定详细的归国计划。

6 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。