VOA标准英语2010年-UN Says Violence Jeopardizing Cholera

UN aid agencies say access to health facilities and rapid treatment are key to preventing the spread and escalation¹ of deaths from cholera² in Haiti. The aid agencies warn violence is jeopardizing³ their ability to help the victims.
Higher number of causalities than reportedLatest figures on the cholera epidemic⁴ from the Haitian Ministry⁵ of Public Health are more than 1,100 deaths and nearly 18,400 hospitalizations. But, UN aid agencies note these statistics are several days old and the true number of deaths and hospitalizations are probably higher.
Cholera is confirmed in seven Haitian regions. Only three remain free of the disease. World Health Organization Communications Officer, Christian⁶ Lindmeier has just returned from two weeks in Haiti.
UN agencies' responseHe said aid workers are trying to inform people their lives could depend upon reaching a cholera treatment center quickly. Unfortunately, he says, civil unrest in Haiti is slowing cholera prevention and treatment supplies from reaching affected⁷ areas.
"The riots we had recently are certainly not helping⁸ either," Lindmeier said. "That are the reports from Monday and Tuesday we are getting, that people simply did not dare go to facilities or did not make it to the facilities and, of course supply deliveries to the health facilities have to be halted as well if the security situation deteriorates⁹. So, nothing of this is very favorable, but it adds to the death toll¹⁰." Aid agencies say their efforts to control the cholera epidemic are being seriously hampered¹¹ by riots. Many Haitians blame Nepalese UN peacekeepers for bringing the cholera epidemic to their country. The United Nations says vital water, sanitation¹² and hygiene¹³ projects are being interrupted. A World Food Program warehouse¹⁴ was looted and burned. Another casualty is a cholera-training program for health professionals. It has had to be halted. Violence mars delivery of suppliesSpokeswoman for the UN Children's Fund, Marixie Mercado, says the violence is jeopardizing the delivery of life-saving supplies.
"The northern department already has a hospital fatality¹⁵ rate of 7.5 percent, which is the highest in the country," Mercado said. "And, according to PAHO (The Pan American Health Organization) and UNICEF this rate could be multiplied by five if patients do not have access to health services...According to the Ministry of Health, 12 percent of the deaths so far have been among children under five years old. This is as of the 14th of November. And, again just to underline, that this is likely an underestimation of deaths." The United Nations is sending 11 trucks full of material to cholera-affected regions on Friday. Two helicopter airlifts also are scheduled. Aid work continues Aid workers say they hope the convoy¹⁶ will not be interrupted by more riots. They say it is important they be able to bring more medical equipment to the departments. There they will be distributed to communities, hospitals and cholera treatment centers.

1 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

2 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

3 jeopardizing   

危及，损害( jeopardize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Plans may also become inefficient in the attainment of objectives by jeopardizing group satisfactions. 用危及群体利益方法去达到目标的计划，也是无效率的。
• That boosted government revenues in the short term, but is now jeopardizing them. Morales将天然气工业，电信业和部分采矿业收归国有的举措吓跑了投资者们。

4 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 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。

9 deteriorates   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• After a few years' planting, the quality of the potato crop deteriorates. 土豆种了几年之后就会退化。
• Virus activity deteriorates in plasma stored at room temperature. 在室温下储藏的血浆中病毒活动逐渐衰退。

10 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

11 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

12 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。

13 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

14 warehouse   

n.仓库；vt.存入仓库

参考例句：

• We freighted the goods to the warehouse by truck.我们用卡车把货物运到仓库。
• The manager wants to clear off the old stocks in the warehouse.经理想把仓库里积压的存货处理掉。

15 fatality   

n.不幸，灾祸，天命

参考例句：

• She struggle against fatality in vain.她徒然奋斗反抗宿命。
• He began to have a growing sense of fatality.他开始有一种越来越强烈的宿命感。

16 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。