VOA常速英语2008年-Millions of Iraqis Living on the Edge

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
16 February 2008

The International Federation¹ of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is appealing for $19 million to help nearly one million people in Iraq who are largely overlooked by social welfare and aid programs. From Geneva, Lisa Schlein reports the Federation says these people are the most socially vulnerable in Iraq.

The United Nations estimates up to six million people in Iraq are in dire² need of help because of years of violence and economic hardship. It says some four million people are unable to buy enough food regularly, have no access to safe drinking water and have great difficulty getting the medical care they need.

The International Red Cross Federation is aiming to help nearly one million of, what it calls, the most socially vulnerable people inside Iraq over the next year.

Operations Coordinator³ for the Middle East and North Africa, Linda Stops, tells VOA these are people who have generally been overlooked by social welfare and aid programs. These are people who have no or very little income and cannot make it on their own.

"They are in their homes. They are not displaced, but they are poor," she said. "They may be unemployed⁴. do not have jobs. They may be elderly. They may be handicapped. They fall into a lot of categories, but they do not fit into some of the other standard categories that we see in Iraq, such as internally displaced. You know being taken to or moving to a different place because of violence or insecurity within the country.  We are really looking to service those people who fall through the cracks from other programs that may be already existing in the country."

A lot of attention has been given to the needs of two million people displaced within Iraq because of violence and insecurity. The international community has responded to the plight⁵ of more than two million Iraqis who have taken refuge in other countries, mainly Syria and Jordan.

While aid for these needy⁶ people must be continued, Stops says more attention must be given to the socially vulnerable inside Iraq, in particular families with many children, single parent families, widows, as well as victims of natural disasters.

The Red Cross Federation has more than 3,200 staff and 10,000 volunteers who carry out the agency's humanitarian⁷ operations. Stops says money from the emergency appeal will provide food and other relief items to 900,000 people.

In addition, she says health services will be provided to 50,000 people and 10,000 handicapped people will receive wheelchairs. She says money also will be used to train tens of thousands of people basic first aid and techniques for counseling those who need psychological support.

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

3 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

4 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

5 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

6 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

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。