2007年VOA标准英语-UNHCR Calls on Sudan to Recognize Refugees From

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
07 August 2007

The U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the Sudanese Commissioner¹ for Refugees are recommending that thousands of new arrivals from Chad who have crossed over to Darfur in recent months be recognized by the Sudanese government as refugees.  In the most comprehensive assessment² of the situation to date, the two agencies jointly⁴ say that these people have reason to fear for their safety if they are returned home.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

Sudanese mother and child, Habile, Chad, 14 May 2007

The U.N. refugee agency and its Sudanese government counterpart, the Commissioner for Refugees, estimate as many as 30,000 people have left Chad for Darfur in a steady flow since early this year.

The joint³ report says most of the new arrivals are Arab nomadic⁵ or semi-nomadic tribes, although some are from non-Arab tribes.   UNHCR spokeswoman, Jennifer Pagonis, says the refugees come from settlements along the Chad-Sudan border.  

"They said that they left their homes in Chad after armed men wearing military uniforms entered their homes searching for weapons and accused villagers of supporting and participating in militia⁶ activities," she said.  "There was apparently⁷ violence, looting, and beatings, murders and in some cases rape⁸ committed by this group according to those who left." 

Given these conditions, Pagonis says the UNHCR and Sudanese Commission believe these Chadians are eligible⁹ for refugee status, because their safety could be at stake if they were deported¹⁰. 

But, she says it is agreed that refugee status should not be granted to active or former combatants who could be part of the group. The government of Chad has been fighting rebels in the eastern part of the country, near Sudan. 

Pagonis notes that nomadic cross-border movements have existed for centuries in this region.  She says nomads¹¹ regularly move back and forth¹² with their livestock¹³ seeking areas where water and grazing land are available.

And, she says, some of the new arrivals say the main reason they left Chad was because of scarce resources, especially water.

"However, the recent cross-border movements to Darfur are mainly motivated by insecurity in Eastern Chad at the end of last year and during the first part of this year," she added.  "The UNHCR-COR (Commissioner for Refugees) report also mentions that on their arrival in West Darfur, some families reported having been directed by local Sudanese tribes men, or local Sudanese leaders to occupy empty land, especially in the Wadi Azoum and Wadi Saleh areas.  The land belongs to people who are now displaced in camps in Darfur or refugees in eastern Chad." 

Pagonis says the report urges the Sudanese Government to quickly clarify land ownership issues and make sure that the owners of the land, mainly internally displaced people in Darfur and refugees in Chad, will be able to return to their villages when they believe it is safe to do so.

The conflict in Darfur has uprooted¹⁴ about 2.5 million people.  More than 200,000 have sought refuge in neighboring Chad.

1 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。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

5 nomadic   

adj.流浪的；游牧的

参考例句：

• This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
• The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。

6 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 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。

9 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

10 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 nomads   

n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 )；流浪者；游牧生活；流浪生活

参考例句：

• For ten years she dwelled among the nomads of North America. 她在北美游牧民中生活了十年。
• Nomads have inhabited this region for thousands of years. 游牧民族在这地区居住已有数千年了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

13 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

14 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》