2007年VOA标准英语-Hundreds of Thousands in Chad's Camps Still Awa

By Phuong Tran
Abeche, Chad
24 August 2007

Despite heavy rains that have made military battles almost impossible, smaller but deadly inter-communal clashes are still breaking out around the borders separating Chad, the Central African Republic and Sudan. Years of fighting between rebel groups and their governments in all three countries have forced hundreds of thousands into temporary camps. Correspondent Phuong Tran visited camps in eastern Chad, and has this report for VOA.

For years, victims of violence in Chad, Sudan and the Central African Republic have sought safety in a dozen humanitarian¹ camps along Chad's eastern and southern borders.

Officials say people are still arriving to the camps.

They come with nothing, expecting to return home as soon as the fighting ends.

 

Upon arrival, they stand in line to receive a prayer mat, blanket, and kettle. And for most, those are their only belongings², after months, even years, of living in a place they do not want to call home.

Diouma Abou

Thirty-seven year old Chadian Diouma Abou says he fled his village, Marena, during an attack blamed on Sudanese militia³ last March that U.N. officials say killed hundreds.

Abou says he lost about 20 members of his family. He says his wife saw so much violence that she lost her mind, and is now in the hospital. He adds he still does not know where his father is.

Cross-border violence with Sudan and an internal rebellion against the Chad government have forced more than 100,000 Chadians into the camps.

Fadwa, Sudanese refugee, Camp Gaga in eastern Chad

They join more than 200,000 Sudanese who have fled ethnic⁴ violence in Darfur that erupted in 2003, when rebels complaining of neglect took up arms against their government.

Fadwa, a twenty-five-year-old mother of five, says she crossed over to Chad when militia groups attacked where she was staying on the border.

Fadwa's baby was just born that morning, but she says her husband, who is in Sudan caring for sick parents, needs to name the child. Fadwa says she is not sure when she will see him again.

Sudanese newborn refugee, Camp Gaga

The United Nations estimates there are some 400,000 refugees and displaced persons in the dozen poorly guarded camps.

Various peace efforts to quell⁵ the violence affecting Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic include a proposed U.N.-European Union peacekeeping force for eastern Chad and northeast Central African Republic. The United Nations would provide training to Chadian security forces, while the European Union would provide military forces.

Meanwhile, four Chad rebel groups are in Libya-mediated peace talks with their government. Sudanese rebel-government negotiations⁶ are expected in the coming months.

The U.N. Security Council has approved 26,000 peacekeepers for southern Sudan to try to end a conflict that has rocked lives in all three countries, killing⁷ some 200,000, and displacing millions.

1 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。

2 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

3 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

4 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

5 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。