VOA标准英语2009年-UN Says Lack of Funds May Ground African H

The United Nations World Food Program says it may have to ground a vital humanitarian¹ air service to parts of Africa this month because of a severe funding shortage. The WFP says some of the poorest countries in Africa will be deprived of critical assistance, unless donations are immediately received to keep the air service going.
　
UN World Food Programme shows looted warehouses² in Abeche, Chad (File)

The United Nations World Food Program says Chad could be the first country to fall victim to this funding crisis. The humanitarian aid agency says its air service to the war-torn Central African country will run out of money by August 15. And, this will force the agency to ground flights carrying aid workers to camps for refugees and internally displaced people.

WFP Spokeswoman Emilia Casella says the air service flies about 4,000 humanitarian aid workers every month to 10 destinations in Chad. She says the workers represent 100 organizations. And, they provide aid to 250,000 refugees from Sudan's conflict-ridden province of Darfur and 180,000 internally displaced people.

"They said, without this service, NGOs [non-governmental organizations] and agencies will be unable to reach operation areas in the east and south of the country, and it is an area that is particularly insecure and difficult," said Casella. "And, in many of these areas, either the roads are impassable due to insecurity or due to poor weather and poor road conditions."

The UN Humanitarian Air Service flies humanitarian workers to some of the hardest-to-reach emergency operations in the world. It provides vital assistance for hundreds of thousands of victims of conflict and natural disasters in remote, inaccessible³ areas.

The service flies in the doctors needed to care for the sick and the injured. It transports the water engineers that build the wells that provide clean water. And it brings in the people who provide food for the hungry.

Casella says the amount of money needed to keep this service going is relatively⁴ small. She says only $6.7 million is needed to maintain the air service in Chad until the end of the year.

Casella says the service to the West African coastal⁵ region also is under threat. She says flights to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will have to be cut by the end of the month because of lack of money.

"The difficulty with that service is there is actually only one plane," said Casella. "So, if we cannot afford to keep the plane in the air, those countries will cease to have any way to get humanitarian workers to very important field operations. And, what I am talking about is really the ability of all of my colleagues, organizations here as well as NGOs to get to the people who need help."

Casella says only $3.3 million dollars is needed to keep the plane flying to these West African countries until the end of the year. She considers this a bargain considering the humanitarian returns.

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 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

3 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

4 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

5 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。