VOA标准英语2012--Sudanese Refugees Victims of Air Raid

Sudanese Refugees Victims of Air Raid

At least one Sudanese refugee was injured and 14 others are missing following an air raid Monday in South Sudan. The U.N. refugee agency says the attack occurred in Upper Nile State where Sudanese refugees have sought refuge from violence back home.
Sudanese refugees have been crossing the border into South Sudan for many months. They’re fleeing fighting between Sudanese forces and the rebel SPLA-North Sector¹.
The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said since August, about 78,000 people have crossed the border from Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States. They’re receiving humanitarian² assistance in South Sudan’s Upper Nile and Unity³ States.
Morning attack
UNHCR’s Vivian Tan said Monday’s air raid occurred about 10 kilometers inside South Sudan.
“The attacks happened in the morning local time in the border region called Elfoj in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State. Basically, several bombs were dropped from an Antonov plane and they fell on a refugee hosting site. And there were about 5,000 at the site at that time,” she said.
At the time of the attack, UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration⁴ were preparing a 14 truck convoy⁵ to relocate some of the refugees.
“This is a site where back in late November [and] early December last year we started to see refugees converging⁶ after crossing over from the Blue Nile State. There were thousands of them in pretty desperate condition after walking for weeks with just the clothes on their backs often. So we wanted to get them as far away from the border as possible. And since earlier this month, we’ve been trying to move them to camps further inland. And this is what we were doing when the attacks happened,” she said.
Well over 11,000 refugees have been moved from Elfoj this month. Tan said the latest refugees to cross into South Sudan are in better shape than the earlier arrivals.
“UNHCR and our partners are working to provide them with food, non-food items, relief supplies like blankets, tents, plastic sheets. We’re also making sure that those who need medical attention get it as soon as possible,” she said.
There have been previous bombings of border areas where Sudanese refugees had gathered. Last November, attacks occurred in Upper Nile State’s Maban County and at the Yida refugee camp in Unity State.
Other concerns
The UNHCR is also raising concerns about Somali refugees in Ethiopia. It says this week there have been two suspected cases of polio at the Bur Amino camp in Dollo Ado and three more suspected cases in the surrounding community. Humanitarian agencies and health officials are now trying to confirm the outbreak. Polio is a highly contagious⁷ disease affecting mostly young children.
A nationwide anti-polio campaign had already been scheduled to begin in Ethiopia on January 27th. UNHCR says that campaign will be expanded to include all refugee camps in the country.

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

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 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

4 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。

5 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。

6 converging   

adj.收敛[缩]的，会聚的，趋同的v.（线条、运动的物体等）会于一点( converge的现在分词 )；（趋于）相似或相同；人或车辆汇集；聚集

参考例句：

• Plants had gradually evolved along diverging and converging pathways. 植物是沿着趋异和趋同两种途径逐渐演化的。 来自辞典例句
• This very slowly converging series was known to Leibniz in 1674. 这个收敛很慢的级数是莱布尼茨在1674年得到的。 来自辞典例句

7 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。