VOA标准英语2011--Creating a Safe Haven for Chadians Fleei

Creating a Safe Haven¹ for Chadians Fleeing Libya

Humanitarian² agencies are setting up a way station in a small, remote mountain town in Chad. It's the entry point for thousands of Chadian migrants fleeing the conflict in Libya. All the new arrivals need food, water and health care.
The town of Zouarke is little more than a cluster of 20 huts. But one thing it does have is a deep well. And at any given time, hundreds of people may be lined up, waiting for hours, to fill their jerry cans.
Migrants must travel through Niger to get to the town. It's not the quickest way, but it's safer. The more direct route is littered with landmines³ left over from Libya's sporadic⁴ conflict with Chad between 1978 and 1987.
Last week, there were reports from the government that nearly 4,000 migrants has been stranded⁵ in Zouarke, unable to travel further into Chad. Upon hearing the news, the International Organization for Migration⁶ sent an assessment⁷ team and supplies to the town.
Dr. Qasim Sufi, the IOM's chief of mission in Chad, says the assessment had two goals.
"The first one was to meet the immediate⁸ needs of migrants that have arrived at Zouarke. And the second one is to assess the situation to avoid such events to happen in the near future."
The IOM says the nearly 4,000 migrants reported stranded had apparently⁹ managed to move on by the time the assessment team arrived. But over a thousand more migrants arrived in the town during a 24 hour period and more are on the way.
Water
The major problem was really a problem of potable water, but also food, but also medicine. So in addition to the team we sent also two lorries of medicine, food, water to provide people with such assistance.
While the well in Zouarke holds plenty of water, getting it to the surface and distributing it was taking too much time.
Sufi said, "IOM is in the process of increasing the capacity of conserving¹⁰ the water. We sent two big containers and a pump that will pump out the water from the well so it can be stored in these two containers, so that people can easily [it] access on their way to Faya. And the second strategy that we are planning to put in place will be a bore hole so that we can increase the capacity and availability of potable water."
What's next?
Faya, the next destination for migrants passing through Zouarke, is about 600 kilometers to the southeast. The IOM says there's plenty of food, water and medical care there.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sufi says in the Libyan border town of Gatroun, 800 kilometers away from Zouarke, many Chadians are still waiting to head home.
"I don't have the exact number, but people are talking about 28 to 30,000. People talking about 40,000, but for sure there are many, many more still in a town called Gatroun, a border town in Libya, and somehow are unable to proceed," he said.
The International Organization for Migration hopes to get an assessment of the situation in Gatroun soon.

1 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

2 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。

3 landmines   

潜在的冲突； 地雷，投伞水雷( landmine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The treaty bans the use production and trade of landmines. 该条约规定，禁止使用地雷相关产品及贸易。
• One of the weapon's of special concern was landmines. 在引起人们特别关注的武器中就有地雷。

4 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 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。

7 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？

8 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。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 conserving   

v.保护，保藏，保存( conserve的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Contour planning with or without terracing is effective in conserving both soil and moisture. 顺等高线栽植，无论做或不做梯田对于保持水土都能有效。 来自辞典例句
• Economic savings, consistent with a conserving society and the public philosophy. 经济节约，符合创建节约型社会的公共理念。 来自互联网