VOA标准英语2008年-UN Reports Sharp Increase in Disabled War Victi

By Peter Heinlein
Addis Ababa
15 May 2008

The United Nations says the number of people in Africa with disabilities has doubled in a decade. VOA's Peter Heinlein reports from Addis Ababa victims of conflict are a large percentage of the increase.

U.N. population officer Hassan Musa Yousif says one in 10 Africans suffers some disability. Speaking before a U.N. conference on rights of disabled persons, which is being held in Addis Ababa next week, Yousif told reporters the number of disabled has increased sharply¹ during the past decade.

"Generally the number of people in Africa with various disabilities [it] has doubled," he said

Yousif says the sharp increase in the number of people with disabilities is partly due to better record keeping, though many developing countries still have little or no statistical² information about their disabled populations. But he says a significant³ part of the increase is made up of war victims.

"Many countries, take for example my home country, Sudan and several other countries in the continent," he said. "Even here in Ethiopia, the wars and the conflict that was fought a few years ago, you see one of the results of that conflict is various people with different kinds of disabilities. Amputated arms, hands, blind, whatever. Conflict contributed a lot to disability in Africa."

Many of these young war victims and others with disabilities have been invited to attend the Addis Ababa conference. Fiona McConnon of the British charity Leonard Cheshire Disabilty says these young people will be taught how to act as advocates on behalf⁴ of others denied access to education, employment⁵ and services because of their disabilities.

"We think it is really important that young disabled people also understand the convention⁶, are involved in the monitoring of the convention, so we are bringing to the conference some young disabled people," said McConnon. "And when they go back to their countries, they will be working with other young disabled people to monitor the convention and to feed back to their governments what they are doing well, what they are not."

The disabilities conference is being sponsored⁷ by the U.N. Economic Commission⁸ for Africa and the Cheshire Disability. The three-day meeting is expected to draw hundreds of people from scores of countries, who are interested in improving the quality of life for the estimated⁹ 650 million disabled people worldwide.

. "That is for sure. Most of the countries it has doubled, and we need to give special care to these people with various kinds of disabilities."

1 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

2 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

3 significant   

adj.相当数量的；意义重大的；意味深长的

参考例句：

• Your success today may be significant for your whole future.你今天的成功对你的整个未来可能是重要的。
• She cast him a significant smile.她向他投去意味深长的一笑。

4 behalf   

n.利益，方面；支持，赞成

参考例句：

• Ken is not present,so I shall accept the prize on his behalf.肯没有出席，所以我将代表他领奖。
• They fixed on him to speak on their behalf.他们已经确定他作为代表发言。

5 employment   

n.雇用；使用；工作，职业

参考例句：

• A large office requires the employment of many people.一个大办事处需要雇用好多人员。
• The state of employment in this city is improving.这个城市就业状况正在改善。

6 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

7 sponsored   

v.赞助( sponsor的过去式和过去分词)；资助（某人的培训或教育）；为慈善活动捐资；发起，倡议adj.赞助的；发起的

参考例句：

• The exhibition was sponsored by the Society of Culture. 这个展览会是由文化学会主办的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The company sponsored several TV programs. 这家公司赞助了几个电视节目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

9 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。