VOA英语2010年-US Gives 3 Million for Emergency Food Aid Pr

The United States is giving $3 million in emergency food aid to the World Food Program to try to prevent widespread famine in southern Madagascar. The United Nations agency predicts 720,000 people in three regions could be severely¹ affected² in the next few months by a drought and lack of basic resources.

U.S. Agency for International Development Director for Madagascar Rudolph Thomas said the United States is responding to the World Food Program's emergency appeal. "They are in their second year of a two year drought, and so it is very very dry, and when you look out at the land it is very barren and there is very little grass. There is an occasional tree off in the distance. In fact, where there were river beds it is just bone dry. There is no water."

WFP Madagascar Representative Krystyna Bednarska said the number of food insecure districts had increased from 31 to 53 in two years. In addition to drought, the area faced cyclones³ and locust⁴ infestations⁵.

Bednarska said reports during the past two months of people eating crop seeds, selling their goods and migrating pointed⁶ to widespread famine by March. She said in some areas 80 percent of the main crop corn had already failed

"People have since the beginning of the lean season in October adopted negative coping strategies; consuming their own seeds, consuming food products that are inappropriate for their health," said Bednarska. "Signals that the migration⁷ of the men to find jobs in other areas has started, leaving women and children in even more difficult situations, alone in this area."

The U.N. Childrens Fund Representative for Madagascar, Bruno Maes, said more than half the country's children were already affected from a poor diet. "If UNICEF and its partners are not able to provide a humanitarian⁸ response to avoid a major food security and nutritional⁹ crisis, 300,000 children under five in these affected areas are at risk of severe acute malnutrition¹⁰. Just over 50 percent of Madagascar's children are stunted¹¹ as a result of chronic¹² malnutrition. It is worse only in Afghanistan and Yemen."

Maes said UNICEF is concerned massive cuts to heath care, plus the predicted famine, will have serious consequences for the health of local residents next year. More than half the area's health centers will have to close in two weeks when UNICEF funding runs out.

1 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

2 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。

3 cyclones   

n.气旋( cyclone的名词复数 )；旋风；飓风；暴风

参考例句：

• The pricipal objective in designing cyclones is to create a vortex. 设计旋风除尘器的主要目的在于造成涡旋运动。 来自辞典例句
• Middle-latitude cyclones originate at the popar front. 中纬度地区的气旋发源于极锋。 来自辞典例句

4 locust   

n.蝗虫；洋槐，刺槐

参考例句：

• A locust is a kind of destructive insect.蝗虫是一种害虫。
• This illustration shows a vertical section through the locust.本图所示为蝗虫的纵剖面。

5 infestations   

n.（害虫、盗贼等）群袭，出没，横行( infestation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The arrival of warm weather raises the specter of disease and increased rat infestations caused by rotting garbage. 天气转暖使人们担心垃圾腐烂会引起疾病传播和鼠群猖獗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Piperazine citrate is the drug of choice in the treatment of Ascaris infestations. 枸橼酸哌嗪治疗蛔虫感染是最好的药物。 来自辞典例句

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 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。

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 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。

10 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

11 stunted   

adj.矮小的；发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• the stunted lives of children deprived of education 未受教育的孩子所过的局限生活
• But the landed oligarchy had stunted the country's democratic development for generations. 但是好几代以来土地寡头的统治阻碍了这个国家民主的发展。

12 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。