2007年VOA标准英语-UN Calls for Greater Assistance for Displaced I

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
17 April 2007

The U.N. High Commissioner¹ for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, is calling for a greater effort by the international community to help millions of Iraqis uprooted² by the war.  Guterres made his call at a conference in Geneva, hosted by the UNHCR, to raise awareness³ of the plight⁴ of nearly 4 million refugees and displaced people in Iraq and surrounding countries. More than 450 people from over 60 countries are attending the conference. Lisa Schlein has more for VOA from Geneva.

In this video clip, a few Iraqi refugees, with their faces carefully disguised, speak about the fear, the persecution⁵, and the sense of hopelessness that forced them to flee to other countries.  They tell heartrending stories about family members they had to leave behind.  They talk about the sectarian violence that separates Sunnis and Shi'ites who formerly⁶ had lived together in peace.  They say life as a refugee is very hard and they wish they could go home. 

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres says Iraq is probably the best-known conflict on the globe, but not enough attention has been paid to the humanitarian⁷ crisis.  He says that dimension of the problem can no longer be overlooked. 

“It is the most significant displacement⁸ in the Middle East since the dramatic events of 1948,” he said.  “One in eight Iraqis have been driven from their homes.  Some 1.9 million are currently displaced inside the country and up to 2 million others have fled abroad." 

Guterres notes many Iraqis were displaced prior to the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.  And in the two years following the U.S.-led invasion, he says more than 300,000 Iraqis returned home to begin rebuilding their lives.  But he says this trend was dramatically reversed after the bombing of a famous Shi'ite mosque⁹ in Samarra in February 2006.  Now, he says, up to 50,000 Iraqis a month are fleeing their homes.

"If this massive displacement has gone largely unnoticed, it is in part because most of those fleeing are not going to highly visible camps, but are being absorbed by host communities, in Iraq and in neighboring states,” he added.  “It is the biggest urban caseload ever dealt with." 

Guterres notes most of the Iraqi refugees have gone to Syria and Jordan, which can no longer cope with these numbers.  He says they need international support.  He says ultimately only a political solution will resolve Iraq's tragic¹⁰ situation. 

In the meantime, Guterres says, borders must be kept open so Iraqis seeking

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 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

5 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

6 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

7 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。

8 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

9 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

10 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。