2007年VOA标准英语-IOM: Few Iraqi Displaced Getting Assistance

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
22 July 2007

The International Organization for Migration¹ says only a fraction of the more than 2.2 million people forced to flee their homes in Iraq is getting the basic humanitarian² assistance they need. The organization called on the international community to give more money to support these victims of war. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva.

Iraqi children drink water from taps at a refugee camp for internally displaced people outside Najaf, 16 June 2007

The International Organization for Migration reports one million Iraqis have been displaced since the bombing of a Shiite shrine³ in the city of Samarra in February 2006. It says some 60,000 people in Iraq are being uprooted⁴ from their homes every month because of sectarian violence.

IOM spokeswoman, Jemini Pandya, says the country is facing its worst ever displacement⁵ crisis. She says the displacement is going on longer than anyone had imagined. And, she says, this is causing the humanitarian situation to worsen every day.

"People who had been hoping to return to their homes after a short period of time are now having to come to terms with the fact there is no light at the end of the tunnel in view.  IOM.'s mid-year review confirms that the trends observed at the end of 2006, the fact that host communities are struggling hard to cope with the sheer weight of numbers of people arriving needing shelter, food and other facilities," said Pandya.

Pandya says the competition for limited resources such as food, water and sanitation⁶, health care and jobs is fierce. She says lack of security is hampering⁷ the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Despite the enormous risks, she says aid workers continue to help vulnerable people. She says they would be able to reach many more of those in need if they had more resources.

"Given all of this and a clear awareness⁸ around the world of the situation in Iraq, we are finding it rather difficult now to understand why it is proving so hard to find the resources to provide the basic humanitarian assistance that is so clearly needed. Since we launched our appeal in mid-June for Iraq for 2007 and 2008, we have received only 18 percent of an appeal for $85 million," added Pandya. "I think it is important to stress that funds are needed not just to meet humanitarian needs, but also to limit the undoubtedly⁹ socio-economic needs of this crisis."

Pandya notes the length of displacement and the continued situation of insecurity is entrenching¹⁰ community divisions. She warns these sectarian divisions could become irreversible if the world fails to act now to help those forced through violence to flee their homes.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 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。

3 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

4 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》

5 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。

6 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

7 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

8 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。

9 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

10 entrenching   

v.用壕沟围绕或保护…( entrench的现在分词 )；牢固地确立…

参考例句：

• It has the same effect of entrenching the elite in corrupt economies. 它有着令精英陷入腐败经济的相同效应。 来自互联网
• This in entrenching on other domains. 这是在侵占别人的领土。 来自互联网