VOA标准英语2009年-Kenya Serves as Transportation Hub for

Marek Zalewski 21 December 2009

 
Food distribution in Kenya

 

Despite the post-election violence that broke out in Kenya last year, the East African country is widely viewed as an island of stability and economic progress in a region plagued by war and poverty. And because of this, Kenya serves as a transportation hub for international food aid to Uganda, southern Sudan, Somalia and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Fierce fighting, flooding, devastating¹ droughts and other disasters in East and Central Africa translate into this: millions of hungry and desperate people.

But for the fortunate among them, food aid does get through by way of a sophisticated network of road, sea and air routes connected to Kenya.

Peter Smerdon is senior public affairs officer at the United Nations' World Food Program, or WFP, in Nairobi.

 

Peter Smerdon

"Kenya is the biggest economy in East Africa and that means it has more infrastructure² than other countries, certainly than Somalia, but also Eastern DR Congo, Southern Sudan and to a certain extent Uganda," said Peter Smerdon. "So it means generally the roads are better, the port works better, there are more transporters who take commercial cargo³ as well."

Key to the food distribution system is the coastal⁴ city of Mombasa.

It has a well developed port that last year handled 670,000 tons of food aid from around the world. Smerdon says that some 10 million people in the region rely on food aid that arrives in Mombasa.

But the food still has a long way to go. Aid workers have to truck it across vast distances, and often through volatile⁵ areas. Nick Wasunna is senior adviser⁶ at World Vision Kenya, WFP's largest partner.

"On one occasion we were passing through one part of Kenya that we needed to move food through to get to another community, but those two communities were in conflict, and so they were actually attacking the lorries as they would pass through," said Nick Wasunna.

For places such as Southern Sudan, where few roads exist and communities are isolated,  airdrops are necessary.

And when heavy fighting in Somalia makes it risky⁷ to transport food by road, aid is shipped from Mombasa to Mogadishu accompanied by European Union naval⁸ escorts.

In a typical year, Smerdon says the WFP purchases approximately half of its food aid from large-scale food traders in the region. The other half comes from the United States and other foreign donors⁹.

Aid agencies also try to buy from small, local farmers.

"We've now launched a program called Purchase for Progress, which is aimed at helping¹⁰ marginal farmers, buying from them when you do purchase locally," he said.

World Vision's Nick Wasunna says his agency is also setting up programs where communities build schools, dams and other infrastructure in exchange for food and work.
 

1 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。

2 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

3 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

4 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

5 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。

6 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

7 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

8 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

9 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。