2007年VOA标准英语-Some Iraqi Provinces Closing Door to Displaced

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
14 April 2007

The International Organization for Migration¹ says some provinces in Iraq are closing their doors to internally displaced people fleeing violence in Baghdad and other parts of the country.  IOM says these areas are finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the growing number of homeless people.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

An Iraqi woman at a camp in Diwaniyah, 130 kilometers south of Baghdad

The United Nations estimates that almost 2 million people are now internally displaced within Iraq.  Of these, about 800,000 people have fled their homes since late February 2006, following the bombing of the Shi'ite golden mosque² in Samarra.

A spokesman for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Jean-Philippe Chauzy, says the displaced are vulnerable and in great need of help. 

"The International Organization for Migration has been monitoring around 55,000 families in 15 of the 18 governorates of Iraq," he said.  "We found out that an overwhelming majority of those displaced, about 75 percent of the displaced, do not have adequate access to shelter, to food, to medical assistance, to drinkable water.  Therefore, the challenges are quite enormous." 

In the Governorate of Karbala, south of Baghdad, Chauzy says, local authorities are turning away internally displaced people because of the severe strain the displaced are putting on local resources and services.  He says this is also occurring elsewhere in the country. 

"The burden placed by the displaced on public services on host communities has basically brought the authorities of those governorates to stop the displaced from basically coming in and settling into these governorates," he added.  "And, so that is obviously an added worry for the agencies that are trying to operate inside Iraq"

IOM has appealed for $50 million to fund its operations for internally displaced people.  It has received only a fifth of that amount. 

But Chauzy says IOM has received a $3.5 million donation from the UN's Central Emergency Revolving³ Fund.  He says, thanks to that, the agency will be able to deliver desperately⁴ needed food and non-food assistance to some 15,000 vulnerable families over the next three months.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

3 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。