2006年VOA标准英语-Darfur Security Limiting Aid Delivery

By Noel King
Khartoum
16 August 2006

The United Nations says deteriorating¹ security in Sudan's Darfur region is severely² hindering humanitarian³ aid.  The World Food Program, WFP, says the number of Darfuri civilians⁴ who have been cut off from food aid has nearly doubled since June.

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outskirts5 of Thabit, North Darfur " src="/upimg/allimg/070416/1432140.jpg" width="211" border="0" /> Sudanese travel on their donkeys as a Rwandan soldier assigned to the African Union Mission in Sudan stands guard on the outskirts of Thabit, North Darfur

WFP representative Kenro Oshidari says nearly 500,000 Darfuris have been cut off from food aid.  He says an increase in banditry and fighting among rebel groups has paralyzed aid operations in the region.

Oshidari says the instability has come at a particularly bad time.

"It is happening during the period of the hunger season, before the harvest," he noted⁶.  "This is the season, typically, [when] malnutrition⁷ rates rise and disease increases because of the rains.  At the same time the World Food Program has over 700 staff in Darfur, and I am very much concerned about the security of our staff.  Our convoys⁸ of trucks that carry food are under attack in some places." 

About 2.5 million Darfuris have been displaced from their homes during the conflict.  They are largely dependent upon international humanitarian aid.

The conflict has raged for three years, since an uprising in the region prompted the Sudanese government to arm local militias⁹ in order to crush the rebellion.
 
In May, the Sudanese government and a faction¹⁰ of the rebel Sudanese Liberation Army, led by commander Minni Minnawi, signed a peace accord.  But other rebel factions¹¹ rejected the deal, saying it did not offer enough political power to Darfuris or monetary¹² compensation for victims of the war.

The disagreement has ignited violence as rebels fight one another for control of territory in Darfur.  Tens of thousands of civilians are caught in the middle, fleeing attacks and venting¹³ their frustration¹⁴ at international aid workers and the African Union force, which is monitoring the Darfur peace deal.  In July, eight Sudanese aid workers were killed.

The United States has called for a U.N. force to be deployed¹⁵ in the region, by October 1, but despite international pressure Sudan had continued to refuse calls for U.N. intervention¹⁶.  Earlier this month, the African Union Mission said that it will run out of money by October.

Some 200,000 people are believed to have died since the start of the conflict.

1 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

2 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

8 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

9 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

10 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

11 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

12 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

13 venting   

消除； 泄去； 排去； 通风

参考例句：

• But, unexpectedly, he started venting his spleen on her. 哪知道，老头子说着说着绕到她身上来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• So now he's venting his anger on me. 哦，我这才知道原来还是怄我的气。

14 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

15 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

16 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。