2007年VOA标准英语-UN Refugee Agency Sends Aid to Somali Town

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
19 April 2007

The U.N. refugee agency says it has sent medical and relief supplies to a small Somali town near the Kenyan border, the destination of many people fleeing violence and instability in Somalia.  Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

Two truckloads of intravenous fluids, antibiotics¹, sleeping mats and other supplies rolled into the Somali town of Dobley, 18 kilometers from the Kenyan border.

About 4,000 Somalis have moved into the town this month.  Most were escaping heavy fighting between transitional government forces and insurgents² late last month in the capital, Mogadishu.  The fighting killed up to 1,000 people, injured thousands, and displaced another 200,000 people.

A spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, Millicent Mutuli, tells VOA many of the new arrivals are ill.

"We have reports of people continuing to suffer from diarrhea," she said. "We notice the numbers have really gone up.  Just a few days ago, there were 19 people in an isolation³ camp, and as of yesterday or the day, before there were 36.  NGOs [aid groups] say that they have run out of medical supplies, which is why, even within the relief supplies that we sent, we did add some medical supplies and medicines."

Mutuli says the arrival of so many people in such a short time has put a strain on Dobley.   She says the rainy season has made the distribution of shelter materials vital.

Ethiopian troops first entered Somalia in December to help the transitional government oust⁴ the Islamic Courts Union.  In the first few weeks of this year, neighboring Kenya was swamped with a huge influx⁵ of refugees fleeing the fighting in Somalia.  Many refugees crossed into Kenya from Dobley, causing the Kenyan government to close the border.  

Mutuli says this latest influx into Dobley is not necessarily because people think they can cross into Kenya.

"People are going away from areas that are congested," she said. "Immediately after the flare-up of conflict in Mogadishu, a lot of people left and went into the Shabelle region [to] towns like Afgoye and Marka, and these towns are very, very crowded.  So what has happened is people are moving further and further away from these towns and they are going to areas where they think there is a likelihood of some assistance.  Towns like Dobley present that opportunity."

Since Somalia's civil war broke out in 1991, militias⁶ loyal to clan⁷ and sub clan-based factions⁸ have controlled different parts of the country, with no central authority to provide law and order and basic services.

A transitional Somali parliament was formed in Kenya more than two years ago following a peace process.

1 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

4 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

5 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

6 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

7 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

8 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