VOA标准英语2008年-UNHCR Concerned About Violence Against Immigran

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
23 May 2008

The UN refugee agency is urging South African authorities to suspend deportation¹ of Zimbabweans and to allow them to regularize their stay in South Africa. The UNHCR says it is making this exceptional request in light of the violence against foreigners in South Africa in which 42 people have been killed. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

The U.N. High Commissioner² for Refugees says it is deeply concerned about the attacks against foreigners in South Africa, including refugees and asylum³-seekers. More than 16,000 people have fled their homes in the wake of the violence, which has spread to Cape⁴ Town, where mobs attacked Zimbabweans and Somalis.

UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis says Zimbabweans seeking asylum should not be sent home.

"They include people who came to South Africa to seek asylum," she said. "They urgently need both assistance and protection. And, while thousands of Mozambicans are reportedly streaming home, many Zimbabweans cannot consider returning home due to the well-known situation in their country."

"A significant number of Zimbabweans have got genuine international protection needs. And, those who are seeking asylum should have access to the national asylum procedures in South Africa and in other neighboring countries and elsewhere in the world, for that matter," she added.

Pagonis says the UNHCR has been assessing the needs at sites near police stations where the displaced are gathered. She says the agency is distributing blankets and mats.

The International Organization for Migration⁵ also is providing practical assistance. Spokesman Jean-Philippe Chauzy says the agency is distributing emergency kits⁶ containing clothes, blankets, oral rehydration salts and food. He says foreigners have been coming to IOM's regional office in Pretoria asking for assistance.

"They want to leave South Africa," said Chauzy. "But, most of them have got no money. They fled literally⁷ with the clothes they have on their backs. Most of them have no documentations because of their status. You might have heard that Mozambique is trying to evacuate⁸ about 10,000 of its nationals out of South Africa. Buses have been lined up to help with the evacuation of Mozambicans."

Chauzy says IOM has teamed up with Metro-FM, a South African and regional broadcaster, to air messages of tolerance⁹. He says IOM is also encouraging South Africans who want to denounce this violence to donate money to the victims.

1 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

4 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

5 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。

6 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

7 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

8 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

9 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。