VOA标准英语2008年-Foreign Migrants in South Africa Remain Fearful

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
30 May 2008

The UN refugee agency says it is providing 2,000 tents to the South African government to help provide much-needed shelter to thousands of people made homeless in the recent xenophobic attacks against foreigners. The UNHCR says it does not think camps are the best solution for these displaced people, but it realizes there are no alternatives for many of them for now. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

The United Nations reports the number of violent attacks against foreigners has decreased in the past few days. Despite this, it says foreigners remain anxious and fearful as intimidation¹ and threats continue against their communities.

The government reports some 42,000 migrants, including refugees and asylum² seekers, are sheltered in 95 makeshift sites, mostly in Guateng and Western Cape³ provinces.

UN refugee spokesman, Ron Redmond, says UNHCR field teams have been sent to areas around Johannesburg and Cape Town. He says the teams, which include two senior protection officers, are assessing the needs at the makeshift sites near police stations and other public venues⁴. He says victims of violence are congregating⁵ there because they feel safer.

"We share the government's view that camps are not an appropriate response to displacement⁶ caused by xenophobic attacks. Such facilities often create more problems than they solve," Redmond said. "However, given the immediate⁷ humanitarian⁸ needs, UNHCR fully⁹ appreciates the current situation in which the displaced people are crowded together without proper shelter and sanitation¹⁰ facilities. So, temporary accommodation of some sort is needed immediately."

Redmond says the UNHCR is providing food, shelter, blankets and other basic household items to the migrants. He says these efforts are expanding and will continue.

More than 50 people have been killed since violent attacks against migrants and refugees broke out in South Africa on May 11. UNHCR says an estimated 100,000 people have been uprooted¹¹ in systematic¹² raids carried out by marauding gangs in the country's main urban centers.

Redmond says the majority of displaced are undocumented migrants from Mozambique, Malawi and other African countries. He says thousands have since returned to their countries of origin, or to a third country.

"One of the key elements of the government plan is to move the displaced from their current locations to these new sites, which the government refers to as 'temporary places of safety.' There they can be better assisted," added Redmond. "For UNHCR, it is imperative¹³ that these temporary sites meet internationally accepted standards and good practices. Among those affected¹⁴ are thousands of refugees and asylum-seekers from Zimbabwe, Somalia, Ethiopia and other African countries, whose homes were destroyed and businesses looted, and burned."

The United Nations notes most of the sites are overcrowded and do not meet international standard for human habitation. As a result, it says these places are becoming increasingly dangerous. Aid workers report rapes¹⁵ and sexual exploitation are occurring at ad hoc shelters in Johannesburg and Durban.

1 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

2 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。

3 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。

4 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

5 congregating   

（使）集合，聚集( congregate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The spatial distribution patterns of larvae and pupae are congregating distribution. 幼虫和蛹的空间分布均为聚集分布。
• He says victims of violence are congregating there because they feel safer. 他说暴力的受害者聚集在这里因为他们觉得更安全。

6 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。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 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。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 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。

11 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》

12 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

13 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

14 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。

15 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网