2007年VOA标准英语-UN: Number of Displaced Iraqis Highest in Midea

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
08 January 2007

The U.N. refugee agency says the number of Iraqis fleeing violence in their country is the largest displacement¹ of people in the Middle East in over half a century. The agency is appealing for $60 million to help hundreds-of-thousands of refugees and internally displaced, as Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

An Iraqi Shiite woman washes dishes in camp for Baghdad's displaced Shiite families in Diwaniyah, 130 kilometers south of Baghdad, 3 Jan 2007

The U.N. High Commissioner² for Refugees says about one out of every eight Iraqis is now displaced, and tens-of-thousands are fleeing every month to escape, what it calls, the unremitting violence in Iraq.

The agency says the current exodus³ is the largest long-term population movement in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians following the creation of Israel in 1948.

UNHCR Spokesman Ron Redmond tells VOA, the neighboring host countries are bearing an enormous burden.

"The welcome mat is starting to wear pretty thin in some of these surrounding countries, because they already have such a huge burden, and that is what we are concerned about, as well," he said. "We need additional help so that we can help those governments that are hosting so many hundreds-of-thousands of Iraqis, because they simply do not have the resources or the infrastructure⁴ now to cope. We want to ensure that they get the help they need so that borders will remain open to those who are fleeing this violence."

The UNHCR estimates about 1.7 million Iraqis out of a population of 26 million are displaced internally, and up to two million others have fled to nearby countries. Redmond says many of these people were displaced before the war began in 2003.

But, he says, increasing numbers of Iraqis are fleeing escalating⁵ violence. He says, last year nearly half a million Iraqis fled to other areas inside the country and that between 40,000-50,000 continue to flee their homes every month.

"We have a planning figure that we set, based on what we consider to be a realistic possibility, that we could see up to 2.3 million internally displaced people within Iraq by the end of 2007," he said.

Redmond says a major aim of the appeal is to ensure effective protection and assistance for up to 200,000 of the most vulnerable Iraqis who have mainly gone to Jordan and Syria. Redmond says the UNHCR also will assist non-Iraqi refugees inside the country, including thousands of Palestinians, Turks, Iranians, Syrians, and Sudanese.

1 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句