VOA标准英语2009年-IOM to Increase Aid to Displaced Female-He

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
04 October 2009

The International Organization for Migration¹ says female-headed households displaced in Iraq suffer most from lack of health care, basic services and the threat of eviction². IOM is beginning a new program to help these vulnerable families get the humanitarian³ assistance they need and to protect them from violence. 

 

 
Girls and women who are orphaned⁴ or widowed by violence line up for clothing in the Shiite enclave of Sadr city in Baghdad, Iraq, 09 Sep 2009
The International Organization for Migration says most of Iraq's more than 1.5 million internally displaced people are caught in a vicious cycle of despair. It says most are unemployed⁵, which makes it difficult for them to get adequate food or shelter.

While the situation is grim for all the displaced, IOM says it is worse for those families that are headed by females. It says families that lack the protection of a man are extremely vulnerable.

Throughout Iraq, one in 10 displaced families, on average, are headed by females. An IOM study indicates about one-quarter of these families are living in squatter⁶ camps, public buildings or vacated homes.

IOM spokeswoman Jemini Pandya says these families have limited or no access to basic health and social welfare services. And in some cases, they are totally dependent on charity to survive.

"Almost all of the female-headed displaced families are without any form of employment. And, they live in a constant threat of eviction from whatever roofs they had, even if it is a squatter camp," said Pandya. "And, they have no alternatives before them. This makes them especially vulnerable to exploitation and violence as they search for food and shelter. Anecdotal reports from IOM monitors suggest that IDP women are particularly vulnerable to becoming involved in prostitution and trafficking as a result."

Research carried out by IOM last year has identified victims of trafficking in northern and central Iraq. It shows more than half of the female victims were orphans⁷ or came from single-parent families.

IOM has been providing humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable internally displaced people, returnees and other women and their families since 2003. This new program, which is funded by a $2 million grant from the United States, aims to ensure greater protection for these families.

Pandya says the program will provide psychological, legal, and health care as a way to prevent and protect the women and their families from further social exclusion⁸ and violence. She says legal assistance is critical in giving women the voice they usually are denied.

"The legal issues that we expect to be mainly dealing⁹ with are expected to cover divorce, alimony, social welfare, child custody¹⁰, inheritance and compensation, or property recovery so they either have the means to put a roof over their head or go back to their former homes," added Pandya.

Pandya says psycho-social help will be tailored to individual needs. Women will be assisted either on an individual or collective basis with the aim of strengthening their coping skills and providing emotional first aid.

She says the program also will provide basic medical counseling by a doctor and particular consideration will be given to disease prevention and mother and child care.
 
 

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 eviction   

n.租地等的收回

参考例句：

• The family have won a temporary reprieve from eviction.这个家庭暂时免于被逐出。
• He claimed damages for unlawful eviction.他要求对非法驱逐作出赔偿。

3 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。

4 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

5 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。

6 squatter   

n.擅自占地者

参考例句：

• The squatter settlements originally came into being through illegal land invasions. 违章建筑区最初是通过非法的土地占有而形成的。
• Squatter control is maintained by regular patrols and hut-to-hut checks. 当局定期逐户视察所有寮屋，以收管制之效。

7 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

8 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。