VOA标准英语2010年-Hunger Rates for Niger's Children Reac

Worsening food shortages caused by irregular rainfall and poor harvests in 2009 threaten seven million people in Niger.  Aid workers say the country's children are in particular danger.  Niger is one of the poorest nations in the world and hunger rates already were high among the country's children.

A new government assessment¹ says 17 percent of children under age five suffer from acute malnutrition², up from 12 percent in 2009.  Anything above 15 percent is considered past the emergency threshold.  In some of the most affected³ regions, child hunger rates have risen to between 19 and 22 percent.  The government survey also found that 3.2 percent of the country's children are severely⁴ malnourished and at risk of dying.

Since March, Niger's government has issued urgent calls for national and international aid.  Last month, the government invited the French section of Doctors without Borders to return to Niger, after being kicked out in 2008 by former president Mamadou Tandja.

The French section's president, Marie Pierre Allié, said this authorization⁵ to return means the government recognizes the problem of malnutrition and wants to deal with it.  She says the first step to effectively tackling the problem is to recognize that there are hungry children in this country, a fact that just a few years ago was difficult to acknowledge.

Relief workers have said delays in responding to a 2005 food crisis in Niger needlessly cost lives.  Former president Tandja refused to address risks of food crisis during his more than 10 years in office.  Mr. Tandja was ousted⁶ by a military coup⁷ in February of this year.

Allié says the French section of Doctors Without Borders will partner with a Nigerien organization, Forsani, to work in the Maradi region of south central Niger, specifically in the department of Madarounfa.

Allié said this year there are already a high number of cases of severe malnutrition, signaling a need to treat affected children.  She said her organization also will be distributing nutrient-rich food to children who are not yet sick, to keep them from getting malnourished.  Beginning next year, she said her group will work with health authorities to roll out a systematic⁸ prevention program that would provide regular food supplements to at-risk children, from six months to 12 years of age.

Malnutrition can have lasting⁹ effects on a child's mental and physical development.

Relief organizations, like the International Federation¹⁰ of the Red Cross, report the food crisis is worse than anticipated.  The Red Cross has called for additional funding to reach and treat at-risk children in Niger.

The United Nations World Food Program has announced it will double the amount of people receiving food aid in Niger to 4.5 million and increase supplementary¹¹ feeding for children under age two and their families.  The WFP has called for an additional $100-million to ramp¹² up its program.

The food crisis threatens as many 10 million people, across the Sahel region.  Although Niger has been the hardest hit, populations in Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and Cameroon also are at risk.

 

1 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

2 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

3 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。

4 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

5 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

6 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

7 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

8 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

9 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

10 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

11 supplementary   

adj.补充的，附加的

参考例句：

• There is a supplementary water supply in case the rain supply fails.万一主水源断了，我们另外有供水的地方。
• A supplementary volume has been published containing the index.附有索引的增补卷已经出版。

12 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。