VOA标准英语2009年-Desperate Somalis Take Risks to Escape War

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
26 September 2009

The United Nations refugee agency says security continues to deteriorate¹ in Somalia. At the same time, it says poverty is increasing as prolonged drought is destroying ways to make a living in the country.

Instability and the devastating² effects of prolonged drought are causing tens of thousands of Somalis to take to their feet in search of a safe refuge.

 
Newly arrived Somali refugees wait to register at Hagadera camp in Dadaab (file photo)
The U.N. refugee agency reports deadly clashes between government forces and rebel groups have forced about one-quarter of a million Somalis to flee the capital, Mogadishu since May. 

It says most have sought refuge in the Afgooye corridor, some 30 kilometers west of Mogadishu. This area now is home to more than 534,000 internally displaced people.

While their security may be better, UNHCR spokesman Andrej Mahecic says their living conditions are deplorable. He says they are living in makeshift sites in squalid conditions. 

And, he notes humanitarian³ organizations have great difficulty in reaching them with much needed assistance. He says thousands of other Somalis are exploring alternative escape routes.

"The deteriorating⁴ security situation and prolonged drought in Somalia are forcing more people to flee further a-field into the neighboring countries and beyond," said Mahecic. "Some of them are making the journey across the Gulf⁵ of Aden and the Red Sea trying to reach Yemen and the Mediterranean⁶ Sea to get to Europe."

Mahecic says not all of them make it to their destination.

"Last week, as reported, 16 people died and 49 others went missing, presumed drowned in the Gulf of Aden," he said. "Since January, a total of 924 boats and over 46,700 people have made the journey to Yemen from the Horn of Africa. So far this year, 322 others are known to have drowned or went missing at sea and are presumed dead." 

Mahecic says thousands of desperate Somalis continue to risk their lives and use unscrupulous smugglers to make the perilous⁷ journey across the Gulf of Aden. 

The UNHCR says Somalia is one of the world's biggest producers of refugees and internally displaced people. The agency provides protection and assistance to more than one-half million Somali refugees in the nearby countries of Kenya, Yemen, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Uganda.

1 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

2 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。

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 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

7 perilous   

adj.危险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• The journey through the jungle was perilous.穿过丛林的旅行充满了危险。
• We have been carried in safety through a perilous crisis.历经一连串危机，我们如今已安然无恙。