VOA标准英语2008年-UN Appeals for Emergency Aid for Victims of Geo

The United Nations is appealing for more than $58.5 million to provide emergency assistance to tens of thousands of people affected¹ by the crisis in Georgia over the next six months. Aid agencies report their biggest problem remains² one of access. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
　
Georgian refugees fleeing Gori, 11 Aug 2008

Georgian and Russian authorities report nearly 160,000 people have been displaced by the war that erupted over Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia 12 days ago.

The United Nations says these people are destitute³. It says they have lost their homes and need shelter. They need food, health and nutrition, water and sanitation⁴ and protection.

Humanitarian⁵ agencies have been responding to these needs as best they can. But, they say their response is not good enough because of limited access to the victims of fighting.

Two humanitarian heavyweights are in the region trying to pry⁶ agreements from Georgia and Russia for safe and unimpeded access. In particular, they are trying to get Russia to let aid agencies enter South Ossetia where some 30,000 people reportedly are displaced.
　
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, speaks while visiting a Georgian refugee camp on the outskirts⁷ of Tbilisi, 17 Aug 2008

The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, is at the tail end of a three-day visit to Georgia and the Russian Federation⁸. Red Cross spokeswoman Anna Nelson says Kellenberger met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Tuesday morning.

"He had a positive meeting with Mr. Lavrov during which the Russian authorities said they believed that the ICRC's presence and work in South Ossetia would be useful and that they would pass this message on once again to the South Ossetian authorities," she said.

"The ICRC remains ready to go to South Ossetia to evaluate the humanitarian needs there as soon as practicalities have been re-discussed with the South Ossetian authorities who had previously⁹ invited the ICRC to come to South Ossetia. So, we are hopeful to have access to South Ossetia as soon as possible," she added.

Nelson says the ICRC was present as an observer at an exchange of prisoners-of-war between the Georgians and Russians Tuesday morning. She says Georgia exchanged five Russian POWs for 20 or 21 Georgian POWs.

The UN High Commissioner¹⁰ for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, begins a four-day mission to Georgia and Russia on Tuesday. A UNHCR Spokesman, Andrej Mahecic, says the High Commissioner also will stress the importance of unhindered access during his meetings with high-ranking officials on both sides.
　
UNHCR distributes blankets, kitchen sets and jerry cans to some 1,500 people from South Ossetia now living in a collective centre in Tbilisi, Georgia

He says the situation on the ground in Georgia remains volatile¹¹ and unpredictable. He says a joint¹² UNHCR-World Food Program convoy¹³ managed to enter the town of Gori on Sunday.

"This was the first time since the outbreak of the conflict on the eighth of August that U.N. agencies were given access to that city," said Guteeres.

"However, earlier the same day, the UNHCR security mission was unable to access Gori using the same route. Our staff who managed to enter Gori on Saturday afternoon reported the town appeared to be mostly deserted¹⁴. The damage to the buildings... appear not to be extensive. Although, there were clear indications of widespread looting of shops and apartments," he continued.

Mahecic says the UNHCR needs $16 million for the next six months to cover the agency's protection, shelter and assistance programs for the newly displaced in the Caucasus region. This request is included in the United Nations Emergency appeal.

 

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 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。

3 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

4 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

5 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。

6 pry   

vi.窥(刺)探，打听；vt.撬动(开，起)

参考例句：

• He's always ready to pry into other people's business.他总爱探听别人的事。
• We use an iron bar to pry open the box.我们用铁棍撬开箱子。

7 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

8 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。

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 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。

11 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

12 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。

13 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

14 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。