VOA标准英语2008年-More Refugees, Displaced People Return to Georg

The U.N. refugee agency says an increasing number of people are returning to their homes as the situation improves in Georgia. The UNHCR says many people who fled their homes in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia also are returning as conditions stabilize¹. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.
　
Georgian refugees wait to be registered for humanitarian² aid, in the town of Gori, Georgia, 26 Aug 2008

The U.N. refugee agency says an increasing number of people have been returning to Gori since Russian troops withdrew from the Georgian town.

Gori was largely abandoned during the conflict between Russia and Georgia earlier this month. UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond says the agency will help local authorities assess the numbers of returnees and coordinate³ assistance programs. This includes providing shelter and non-food items.

"Most of the returns since Friday have been spontaneous. Many of the displaced returned from areas in and around Tblisi," said Redmond. "According to the Georgian government, between 10 and 15,000 have already gone back to Gori, out of an initial population estimated at somewhere around 70,000. Most of the returnees had been in contact with neighbors and relatives and were aware of the state of their homes and what they were going back to. Many of the returnees were men who said they first want to see the situation for themselves before bringing their families back."

Redmond says field teams have monitored departure points and shelters in Tblisi to make sure the returns are voluntary. He says many returnees carried UNHCR relief packages, including blankets, mattresses⁴ and kitchen sets as well as food supplies for five to 10 days.

The agency says it opened an office Sunday in Gori and has established a provisional warehouse⁵ there to provide for the needs of those returning home.

Nearly 160,000 people were displaced during the recent conflict, about 30,000 fled from South Ossetia to the Russian Federation⁶.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has been granted access to South Ossetia. U.N. aid agencies have not because there is no agreement allowing aid to go to the region from Georgia.

But Redmond says he saw a lot of aid flowing into South Ossetia from Russia while he and High Commissioner⁷ Antonio Guterres visited the area Thursday and Friday.

"In fact, in one half-hour period, as we were driving out of South Ossetia, we counted some 100 trucks, commercial trucks coming South carrying what we assume was relief assistance. So, there is an enormous amount of material coming from the Russian Federation into South Ossetia. But, as far as I know, nothing coming from Georgia proper into South Ossetia," he said.

According to Russian authorities, about 23,000 people from South Ossetia have returned from the Russian Federation since August 12. Redmond says several displaced people in both South and North Ossetia told High Commissioner Guterres they intend to return to their homes as soon as possible.

1 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

2 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。

3 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

4 mattresses   

褥垫，床垫( mattress的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The straw mattresses are airing there. 草垫子正在那里晾着。
• The researchers tested more than 20 mattresses of various materials. 研究人员试验了二十多个不同材料的床垫。

5 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

6 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。

7 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。