VOA标准英语2011--Aid Agency Warns of West Africa Food Crisis

Aid Agency Warns of West Africa Food Crisis

 

A humanitarian¹ agency warns that millions of people in West Africa are facing a food crisis. Oxfam is calling on donors² to take immediate³ action. Oxfam’s regional humanitarian coordinator⁴, Nahuel Arenas⁵, says there’s no time to waste.

“We are talking about January/February. So this is why we need to respond now,” he said.

People in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad are said to be particularly at risk. Arenas said the Sahel region often experiences cycles of drought and floods, causing food insecurity. And while that didn’t happen this year, the region did face a combination of problems.

“We had a very bad rain season, on which most of the rural population depends in the Sahel region. We had very few rains very badly spread over the territory. And at the same time we had an increase in prices in the markets. So what happens is that the local populations are facing the double challenge of low production and increasing prices. So less access to the markets,” he said.

Cash and food

Oxfam reported cereal production fell this year and describes national food reserves as dangerously low. That’s caused the jump in prices. Food is available at some markets, but people simply can’t afford to buy it. Arenas said when that happens giving money is better than food aid.

Mother feeding her severely6 malnourished daughter at center in Niger run by CONCERN and supported by WFP in October 2010.

“So in these cases we promote the use of cash transfers. So on one side we help households to access their food requirements and at the same time we support markets and the local economy,” he said.

Oxfam said regional governments have already recognized the problem. It’s calling on them to provide cash transfers and feed for livestock⁷, while preparing to distribute emergency food aid. But the agency’s regional humanitarian coordinator said international donors need to act now, as well.

“Our message would be that the international community can still avoid the worst if we act together now. We know from past crises that acting⁸ too late costs far more in lost lives and livelihoods⁹ and it’s more expensive,” said Arenas.

Oxfam is concentrating on food security, water and sanitation¹⁰ and advocacy to help deal with the situation.

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 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

5 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

6 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。

7 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

10 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。