2007年VOA标准英语-OIM: Iraqis Running Out of Safe Havens

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
26 September 2007

The International Organization for Migration¹ says Iraqis are running out of safe havens³ as more provinces within the country, as well as neighboring countries, are closing their doors to those fleeing violence. The organization says Iraq is experiencing the worst displacement⁴ crisis in its history and the worst refugee crisis the region has seen since 1948. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from IOM headquarters in Geneva.

The International Organization for Migration says more than 2.25 million people are displaced within Iraq and another two million Iraqis have sought refuge in other countries, most in neighboring Syria and Jordan.

The International Organization for Migration says most Iraqis are fleeing their homes because of sectarian violence carried out by militias⁵ and insurgents⁶. It says 88 percent of the displaced say they were targeted because of their religious or sectarian identity.

IOM displacement specialist in Amman, Dana Graber Ladek, says Iraqis are fleeing their homes because they fear for their lives.

"Those who have been able to leave the country have," she said. "However, as you might have heard, both Syria and Jordan have officially stated that they will soon impose visa requirements. And, there are fewer and fewer places for the Iraqis to flee because within the country the majority of the provinces have restricted either the entry of the newly displaced or the registration⁷ by the Ministry⁸ of Displacement and Migration."

Ladek says 10 of the 18 governorates are closing their doors to the newly displaced. She also says people who are not registered miss out on services, such as help in getting their children into school or assistance in transferring their food ration² cards.

She says the U.S.-led surge against insurgents has not affected⁹ the number of displacements¹⁰. An average of 60,000 people are fleeing their homes every month.

She says the number of displacements in Anbar Province, in western Iraq, decreased during the first two weeks of this month. But, the numbers are, once again, rising. She says part of the reason has to do with the assassination¹¹, earlier this month, of the Sunni tribal¹² leader Abdul Sattar Abu Risha. He had sided with Iraqi and U.S. troops in the fight against al-Qaida in Iraq.

"Recently, we are seeing new waves of displacement out of Fallujah due to the mass arrests that are occurring by the Multi-National Forces and Iraqi police after the killing¹³ of the leader of the Anbar Rescue Coalition¹⁴ Tribal Committee," she said.

Ladek says the greatest needs are for food, shelter and employment. She says more than 80 percent of the internally displaced report difficulty in receiving government distributed food rations¹⁵.

She says the governorates are overcrowded. Apartments are squalid, and rents are high. She says health care is deteriorating¹⁶ because many medical professionals have left the country and medicine and equipment are lacking.

The International Organization for Migration also blames the current crisis on a lack of humanitarian¹⁷ support from the international community. It says it has received only 20 percent of its $85 million appeal for the next two years.

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 ration   

n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应

参考例句：

• The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
• We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。

3 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 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

6 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

7 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 displacements   

n.取代( displacement的名词复数 )；替代；移位；免职

参考例句：

• The laws of physics are symmetrical for translational displacements. 物理定律对平移是对称的。 来自辞典例句
• We encounter only displacements of the first type. 我们只遇到第一类的驱替。 来自辞典例句

11 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

12 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

13 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。

14 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

15 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

16 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。

17 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。