VOA标准英语2010年-Children, Women in 28 Countries in Des

A mother feeds her son who suffers from malnutrition¹, at a hospital in Japala, Guatemala (File)

The United Nations Children's Fund is appealing for $1.2 billion to provide life saving emergency assistance to millions of children and women in dire² need.  UNICEF says earthquake-stricken Haiti is only one of 28 countries where children and women lack even the most basic means of survival.

In previous years, the U.N. Children's Fund has classified Haiti as a country 'in crisis.'  Since the devastating³ earthquake struck, UNICEF has increased its efforts to restore shattered lives and protect children and women who are among the most vulnerable victims of this disaster. 

While Haiti remains⁴ a priority, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Hilde Johnson tells VOA there are many other emergencies that are critical and must be addressed.

Hilde Frafjord Johnson, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, addresses journalists at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland (File)

"We need to scale up our efforts delivered in Haiti, but we also need to ensure that children all over the world-in the Horn of Africa, in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Sudan, in Chad-all these children actually deserve and have the right to the same assistance as children everywhere else," she said.  "And, we must not now only be one-sided.  We need to be able to show that we care and plan to assist all these children globally," said Johnson. 

Johnson says children are always among the most severely⁵ affected⁶, and disasters put them at increased risk of abuse and grave violations⁷ of their rights.  She says children are at risk of sexual violence, killing⁸ and maiming, and forced recruitment into armed groups.

Every year, UNICEF responds to some 200 emergencies around the world.  These crises are most acutely felt in the 28 countries that figure in the Humanitarian⁹ Action Report. 

The greatest needs are in sub-Saharan Africa, where some 24 million people in the Horn of Africa are being affected by drought, chronic¹⁰ food insecurity and armed conflict.

UNICEF's three biggest operations are in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Ethiopia.  Johnson says more than six million people in Ethiopia are going hungry because of drought and famine.  She says children there are at risk of severe and acute malnutrition.

"In Sudan, the combination of conflict and drought, instability and the situation in Darfur, which is still difficult," she explained.  "And, in south Sudan it is getting worse.  In DRC, the Democratic Republic of Congo, we are well familiar with challenges in the eastern part of the country, where we still have thousands and thousands of people on the move.  And, where women and children and girls are subject to sexual violence."

While the crises in these three countries are relatively¹¹ well known, there are a number of countries that remain largely forgotten.  Johnson cites the Central African Republic as one country where children suffer from instability and lack of basic services.  Yet, she notes little is ever heard about what is happening there.

Niger is an example of another forgotten country.  UNICEF's Hilde Johnson says Niger is always at risk of famine.  Any marginal changes in the weather, she says, can drive thousands of children into a situation of severe and acute malnutrition.

UNICEF reports the global financial crisis and unstable¹² food prices are increasing poverty and malnutrition.  And this, it says, is severely threatening progress that has been made for children in some developing countries.

 

1 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。

2 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 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。

6 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。

7 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。