VOA常速英语2008年-ICRC Steps Up Aid in Eastern Congo

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
12 April 2008

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is stepping up its humanitarian¹ activities in response to escalating² violence in eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The agency says lack of security in parts of North and South Kivu is having a devastating³ impact on civilians⁴.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from ICRC headquarters in Geneva.

The Goma Peace Conference in January was supposed to have brought a measure of stability to conflict-ridden parts of eastern Congo, but it has not.   A cease-fire between Congolese renegade general Laurent Nkunda and the Congolese government remains⁵ shaky. 

Spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, Marcel Izard, tells VOA life in North and South Kivu remains dangerous.   He says skirmishes among armed groups are frequent, and tens of thousands of displaced people are too afraid to go home. 

"They need to be sure that nothing will happen to them," he said. "Especially rape⁶ is definitely a huge problem for a long time unfortunately.  This is not a new phenomenon that is going on.  This is obviously one of the issues that people are very afraid of and that is the reason they prefer to be displaced before going back to an uncertain situation." 

The ICRC is appealing for an additional $8 million to finance increased activities in the region.  Izard says the Red Cross has begun distributing a three-month supply of food rations⁷ to more than 37,000 displaced people.

"And also, what we call, the essential household items - cooking pots, clothing, different household items to over 115,000 displaced people," he added.  "And then we also want to distribute seeds and agricultural tools to 30,000 civilians who are returning home and 10,000 households who are hosting displaced families to allow them to grow sufficient food to become self-sufficient and not to depend on food aid." 

The ICRC along with the Congolese Red Cross runs centers where raped⁸ and sexually abused women can find refuge and get medical and psychological help.  But, Izard says, this is not nearly enough to meet the enormous needs.

Izard says the Red Cross will expand support to victims of sexual violence and continue to provide surgical⁹ expertise¹⁰ and medical supplies to hospitals treating the wounded.  

In addition, he says, the ICRC will continue to document allegations of violations¹¹ of international humanitarian law.

1 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。

2 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

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 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。

7 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

8 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

9 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

10 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

11 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。