2007年VOA标准英语-Aid Report Says Sudanese Children Suffer Severe

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
18 April 2007

A network of aid groups has launched a report Wednesday recommending, among other things, that the U.N. Security Council and the Sudanese government make the protection of children a top priority in peace efforts in Sudan, as Sudanese children, particularly those in Darfur, continue to suffer severe abuse. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

A displaced Sudanese woman carries her sons in the Otach Displaced Persons camp in city of Nyala in Sudan's strife-torn Darfur region, 22 Feb 2007

The report, released by the group Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, outlines how children in Darfur and southern Sudan experience a wide range of atrocities¹.

These include: forced recruitment into armed groups; rape² and other sexual abuses; abduction; and denial of basic resources and services.

Watchlist's interim³ director, Sarah Spencer, says no matter what happens in Sudan, one fact that never changes is that the children suffer: 

“Children in Sudan continue to endure some of the most inhumane treatment in the world, and that despite the end of the war in the south, and recent signs of hope for a strengthened peacekeeping force in Darfur, many Sudanese children are not faring any better than they were four years ago when the Watchlist published its first comprehensive report on Sudan," she said.

More than two decades of war between northern and southern Sudan ended at the beginning of 2005 when the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement and the Sudanese government signed a comprehensive peace deal.

Spencer says that, although there is peace in the south, there is a severe lack of basic services to support returning children and their families. For instance, only 15 percent of schools in the south have permanent structures, and there is one health center for every 79,000 people in the south.

Meanwhile, in Darfur, about 200,000 people have died and two million more have been displaced as a result of the four-year-old conflict.

Spencer says less than one-third of children in Darfur are enrolled⁴ in school, and less than half of people living in Darfur have access to health services.

A political counselor⁵ of the Canadian High Commission in Kenya, Ian McKinley, urged the United Nations Security Council to put the protection of children high on its agenda for Sudan.

He says that a Security Council resolution regarding children in armed conflict needs to be adhered to in Darfur and other parts of Sudan, and doing that requires detailed⁶ monitoring and reporting.

"For this mechanism⁷ to be effective, it is imperative⁸ that the humanitarian⁹ community has safe and unhindered access to children in need and that appropriate coordination¹⁰ mechanisms¹¹ are put in place to ensure the collection and reporting of accurate information that ultimately can be used to halt violations¹² against children," he explained.

Aid workers have complained that the Sudanese government often restricts their access to Darfur by delaying or refusing to issue travel permits to the area.

The report also called on the Sudanese government to make children's protection a top priority by, among other things, providing funding and resources to programs and services to help children.

1 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

3 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

4 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

6 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

7 mechanism   

n.机械装置；机构，结构

参考例句：

• The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
• The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

8 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

9 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。

10 coordination   

n.协调，协作

参考例句：

• Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.体操是一项需要高协调性的运动。
• The perfect coordination of the dancers and singers added a rhythmic charm to the performance.舞蹈演员和歌手们配合得很好，使演出更具魅力。

11 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。