UN Issues Urgent Appeal for Emergency Aid to Haiti

UN Issues Urgent Appeal for Emergency Aid to Haiti

 

Jim Teeple

 

The United Nations on Tuesday issued an urgent appeal for emergency aid to Haiti to help Haitians who are affected¹ by political turmoil².

 

The U.N. is asking donors³ for $35 million to help Haitians, in the wake of political chaos⁴ and violence that has engulfed⁶ the country over the past month. The money would fund humanitarian⁷ aid for six months, and help an estimated three million people, mostly women and children who depend on food aid for their daily needs.

 

Humanitarian aid has been disrupted in Haiti for more than a month, especially in the northern part of the country, where U.N. experts say it is needed most. U.N. food aid convoys⁹ have been attacked and looted, as armed gangs and rebels seized territory, and blocked the main north-south highway.

 

U.N. officials say they are planning to send a small food convoy⁸ north this week. Guy Gavreau, the World Food Program Director in Haiti, said he would like to see some of the multi-national troops in Haiti re-direct their priorities toward providing security for relief needs. "We are concerned about the fact that the humanitarian corridor is not considered a top priority by the military. They have other priorities, such as securing the capital city, and we are extremely worried that, if we are unable to reach the people, the situation will get worse and worse."

 

U.N. officials say they are having discussions with the commanders of the multi-national forces, and they are optimistic that multi-national troops will soon be able to assist relief operations.

 

Multi-national force commanders in Haiti say their top priority at the moment is assisting Haiti's national police establish security in the capital, which has been hard hit by violence and looting for nearly two weeks. They say only when that objective is met will they be able to help relief agencies deliver humanitarian assistance.

 

注释：

turmoil [5tE:mCil] n. 骚动

chaos [5keiCs] n. 混乱

engulf⁵ [in5^Qlf] vt. 卷入，吞没

humanitarian [hju(:)7mAni5tZEriEn] n. 人道主义

loot [lu:t] v. 掠夺, 抢劫，劫掠

territory [5teritEri] n. 领土，版图，地域

convoy [5kCnvCi] n. 护送，护卫

priority [prai5Criti] n. 优先权

humanitarian corridor  人道主义走廊

optimistic [7Cpti5mistik] adj. 乐观的

assist [E5sist] v. 援助，帮助

relief [ri5li:f] n. 救济

 

1 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。

2 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 engulf   

vt.吞没，吞食

参考例句：

• Floodwaters engulf a housing project in the Bajo Yuna community in central Dominican Republic.洪水吞没了多米尼加中部巴杰优那社区的一处在建的住房工程项目。
• If we are not strong enough to cover all the minds up,then they will engulf us,and we are in danger.如果我们不够坚强来抵挡大众的意念，就会有被他们吞没的危险。

6 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

9 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句