ICRC Seeks Access to All of Libya as Conflict Intensifies

The International Committee of the Red Cross is appealing for access to all areas of conflict in Libya as fighting intensifies¹.
The president of the ICRC, Jakob Kellenberger, says the conflict in Libya has descended² into civil war.
He says he is alarmed by the intensification³ of the fighting and mounting casualties. He says there are reports as many as 2,000 people have been wounded.
While these figures are unconfirmed, he says local doctors have seen a sharp increase in the number of casualties arriving at hospitals in Ajdabiya and Misrata.
These opposition⁴ strongholds have come under attack by government forces in recent days. The ICRC president says civilians⁵ are bearing the brunt of the violence.
He says he believes many people in western Libya are more severely⁶ affected⁷ by the fighting than those in the east. But, he adds, the ICRC has no access to the areas controlled by the Libyan government. So, it cannot assess the humanitarian⁸ needs.
"I have been told that everything is under control, that all the hospitals are working perfectly⁹ and there is no need for any external humanitarian assistance," said Kellenberger. "That is what we are being told. And, we are worried. We would like to assess this ourselves, this situation."
Kellenberger says he is also very worried about persons deprived of their liberty. He says the ICRC is working to gain access to all people being detained by Libyan authorities and by the armed opposition which controls eastern Libya.
"We have now succeeded in having access to persons deprived of their liberty or detained people in the east," he said. "The authorities in the east have given us access so we could start with that. But, we have no possibility for the time being to do assistance nor protection work in the area controlled by Tripoli."
Kellenberger says ICRC workers have visited between 60 and 80 detainees.
As the conflict heats up, the ICRC president says it is becoming increasingly urgent for all parties to respect the rules of war and distinguish at all times between civilians and fighters. He says only military targets can be attacked.
The ICRC has 26 expatriate staff, mostly medical personnel in rebel-controlled Benghazi. Kellenberger says it is unacceptable that 24 days after the fighting started, western Libya remains¹⁰ effectively cut off from humanitarian aid.

1 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

3 intensification   

n.激烈化，增强明暗度；加厚

参考例句：

• The intensification of the immunological response represents the body's natural defense. 增强免疫反应代表身体的自然保卫。 来自辞典例句
• Agriculture in the developing nations is not irreversibly committed, to a particular pattern of intensification. 发展中国家的农业并没有完全为某种集约化形式所束缚。 来自辞典例句

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 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。

7 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。

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 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

10 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。