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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
AS IT IS 2015-07-15 UN: Drought Affected1 North Korea Cuts Food Rations3 联合国:干旱令朝鲜削减口粮
Officials at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization say North Korea has reduced the amount of food it gives to its people.
Cristina Coslet is the FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System officer for Far East Asia. Ms. Coslet spoke4 to VOA by telephone. She said North Korean officials told the FAO that food rations for July are 310 grams per person per day. That is a 25 percent decrease from June. The average food ration2 between January and June 2015 was 410 grams daily.
Ms. Coslet said a severe drought is affecting the country’s crop production. She said early planted crops - wheat, barley5, potato - decreased considerably6.
She said she expected this year’s production of potatoes and winter wheat to drop by more than 20 percent from last year. The FAO official said the early season harvest is a small but important food source for North Koreans.
In her words, “spring crops are vital for food security, being an important food source for the lean season, which stretches from May to September.”
Much still depends on the weather. Ms. Coslet said it is still too early to estimate the final harvest. Rainfall in the coming weeks is extremely important.
The United States said last week that it has not received a request from North Korea for food aid.
U.S. State Department official Katina Adams said, “The United States remains7 deeply concerned about the well-being8 of the North Korean people. North Korea has not requested United States assistance, and the U.S. has no plans to provide humanitarian9 assistance to North Korea at this time.”
The FAO says North Korea is having unusually dry weather this year, with rainfall well below average. The drought is drying up the country’s irrigation water supplies, including dams, wells and reservoirs.
Last month, North Korea’s official media admitted that the country has been hit with “the worst drought in 100 years,” adding that the lack of rain was “causing great damage” to the country’s agricultural fields.
Words in This Story
ration – n. a specific amount of something, usually food, officially provided during a time of shortage
drought – n. a period with very little or no rain, and extremely dry conditions
vital – adj. extremely important
lean – adj. thin, with little excess
irrigation – n. systems for, or the process of, bringing water to plants for agricultural purposes
reservoir – n. a usually human-made lake that is used to store a large supply of water for use in people's homes, businesses, etc.
1 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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2 ration | |
n.定量(pl.)给养,口粮;vt.定量供应 | |
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3 rations | |
定量( ration的名词复数 ); 配给量; 正常量; 合理的量 | |
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4 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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5 barley | |
n.大麦,大麦粒 | |
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6 considerably | |
adv.极大地;相当大地;在很大程度上 | |
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7 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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8 well-being | |
n.安康,安乐,幸福 | |
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9 humanitarian | |
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者 | |
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