VOA标准英语2010年-UN: Crucial to House Homeless in Haiti

International aid agencies say it is absolutely crucial to provide shelter for hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti made homeless by the earthquake before the rainy and hurricane season begins in April.  The International Organization for Migration¹, which is leading this effort, says aid agencies are looking for sites where camps for internally displaced people can be set up. 

The International Organization for Migration estimates more than one million earthquake victims in Haiti are in acute need of emergency shelter.  It says the vast majority of them are in the capital.

IOM says it is in the process of finalizing² the first organized settlement for some 3,500 displaced people in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Tabarre.

The agency agrees this first camp is inadequate³ for the immense needs.  But, notes it is a start.  IOM spokesman, Jean-Philippe Chauzy, says aid agencies are under pressure to speed up their shelter operation before the rainy and hurricane seasons begin in a few months. 

He says there are not enough tents in the country.  So, until they arrive, IOM and its partners are distributing tarpaulins⁴ and plastic sheets to improve shelter conditions for those made homeless by the earthquake.

"Tents are the first response, but they are not a panacea," said Chauzy. "Far from it, because we all know that with the rainy season, the hurricane season, we need also to think of temporary shelters, of permanent solid shelters." 

"So, we are, at the moment, obviously, doing our best to provide as many tents, plastic sheeting as we can because there is a  need.  But, at the same time, we have got a strategy basically to develop more permanent shelters," he added. 

Chauzy describes this as a very complex operation.  He says appropriate sites have to be identified for establishing a camp before the tents and other temporary shelters can be erected⁵.

He says this immediately poses a big problem because of the scarcity⁶ of open spaces in and near Port-au-Prince, which are buried under rubble⁷.

Once a site is located, he says the ground has to be leveled, electricity, water and sanitation⁸ systems have to be installed and other basic infrastructure⁹ must be put in place.

IOM spokesman Chauzy says aid agencies do not want to construct massive tent cities housing 100,000 or more people.  He says the intention is to set up many smaller camps - each to provide shelter for a maximum of 10,000 internally displaced people.

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 finalizing   

vt.完成（finalize的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• You may edit registered information any time during the finalizing period. 您可以在规定期限内随时编辑修改注册资料。 来自互联网
• Natsun Trimming & Ironing, Finalizing the Perfection. 40南山整烫，完美在此定格。 来自互联网

3 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

4 tarpaulins   

n.防水帆布，防水帆布罩( tarpaulin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Main wood to aluminum and plexiglass, PC, tarpaulins, toughened glass. 主材以铝型材与进口有机玻璃、PC、防水布、钢化玻璃。 来自互联网
• That means providing tents or other materials, including plastic sheeting, tarpaulins and wood. 这意味着需要帐篷和其他物资，包括塑料布、放水油布和木材。 来自互联网

5 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

6 scarcity   

n.缺乏，不足，萧条

参考例句：

• The scarcity of skilled workers is worrying the government.熟练工人的缺乏困扰着政府。
• The scarcity of fruit was caused by the drought.水果供不应求是由于干旱造成的。

7 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

8 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

9 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。