2006年VOA标准英语-World Food Program Raises Alarm on Sahel,

By Nico Colombant
Abidjan
17 May 2006
 
  
  
The World Food Program is raising the alarm on possible looming¹ food shortages in the chronically² affected³ West African Sahel region, while also focusing attention on new problems in tiny Guinea-Bissau. 

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The World Food Program's West Africa spokesman Marcus Prior explains the Sahel region is now entering what is called the lean season or hungry season. The region between the Sahara desert and more fertile land to the south includes some of the world's poorest countries, including Niger and Mauritania.

"As far as most of the Sahel is concerned, last year was a particularly difficult year for many of the poorest people in the Sahel," Prior said. "The lean season as it is generally defined is that period after which people run out of their household food stocks and are dependent on cash or in kind purchases to cover their food needs until the next harvest, which in most cases will not be until September or October of this year."

During the lean season, prices for food go up in local markets, making it even more difficult for the poorest families, who often have very little cash, and sometimes none at all.

Last year, lots of media attention focused on Niger, helping⁴ bring much needed relief.  Prior says last year helped with awareness⁵ both inside and outside the region.

"Following the events of last year, it is quite clear that there is a much greater understanding that these kind of food shortages are neither normal nor acceptable," Prior said. "They are abnormal and unacceptable and we are in a much better position this year to make sure that those who need food in those countries do receive it at the right time."

Despite efforts to build a U.N. emergency fund, the World Food Program is again having problems funding some of its feeding programs.   For Mauritania, Prior says, the agency only has one million dollars of the $18 million it needs.

Overall, an appeal issued Tuesday said more than $37 million are needed to feed 3.3 million people in the region.

In West Africa, the World Food Program is also tackling food insecurity in Guinea-Bissau, a country not used to shortages.

Stefania Trassari is helping coordinate⁶ relief efforts.

"Especially in the south of Guinea-Bissau we are facing a difficult situation," she said. "There was an assessment⁷ mission last week organized by the World Food Program, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), and the Ministry⁸ of agriculture to assess the situation for people living there."

The government says tens of thousands of farmers are starving in the Quinara and Tombali regions as well as on the Bijagos islands.

The problem started after unusually heavy rains last year caused saltwater to wash away rice fields, ruining crops for a second year.  This year, the situation has been compounded by new government fixed⁹ prices for cashew nuts, which farmers usually sell to supplement their income. 

Trassari says, they could have used that income to get through their own lean season, but market vendors¹⁰ are refusing to buy at the new price.

"There is a problem with rice production so the production is 25 percent less than last year," Trassari said. "So this situation may be worse with the cashew nut marketing¹¹ and the fact that government fixed the price of cashew nuts at 350 francs per kilo."

That is about 70 cents.  As this fixed price system is facing resistance, some farmers are selling their cashew nuts for as little as 20 cents a kilogram, to get some money to buy food.  Others are being forced to feed themselves with unripe¹² mangos. 

Even though it is not in the dry area of the Sahel, Guinea-Bissau is also one the world's poorest countries.  It has been wracked by coups¹³, instability and civil war since independence, with renewed fighting recently along the border with Senegal's unstable¹⁴ Casamance region.  

1 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

2 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

10 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

11 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

12 unripe   

adj.未成熟的；n.未成熟

参考例句：

• I was only ill once and that came of eating an unripe pear.我唯一一次生病是因为吃了未熟的梨。
• Half of the apples are unripe.一半的苹果不熟。

13 coups   

n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 )；政变；努力办到难办的事

参考例句：

• China has seen many political coups within the ruling class. 中国统治阶级内部发生过很多政变。 来自互联网
• Thailand has had eighteen coups or coup attendance since nineteen thirty-two. 泰国1932年以来有18次政变或参加政变。 来自互联网

14 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。