VOA标准英语2013--Conflict Threatens Mali Farming

 

Conflict Threatens Mali Farming

The conflict in northern Mali is threatening the country’s food security. Many farmers are among the hundreds of thousands of people who’ve been displaced. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said the next planting season is in jeopardy¹.

Daniele Donati, the FAO’s Chief of Emergency Operations, said that affects both internally displaced persons and those who’ve fled to neighboring countries.

“The major concern in this moment is the next campaign, which starts in May. There is an estimated 230 – 240,000 IDPs in the country and 140 – 150,000 refugees in the sub-region. We need to provide them basic packages to resume normal agricultural activities,” he said.

There are other problems affecting Mali’s food security, as well.

“The fact that borders are closed is limiting trade and the availability of some basic commodities. Prices are going up. And if they don’t resume normal agricultural activities they will have little to eat for the coming nine months,” he said.

The FAO reported that even before the conflict, Mali was feeling the effects of a 2011 / 2012 drought, along with high grain prices.

Many of the displaced farmers are reported to be in refugee camps or with host families in Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Niger. Others fled to southern Mali.

Donati said, “They lost everything because they are away from their places. They don’t have agricultural tools. They don’t have basic seeds. And their animals are also at risk because there is no availability of veterinary drugs and so on. This is also a major challenge for the displaced households because animals represent years of savings². It’s a lifetime of savings.”

The FAO said efforts should be made to grow vegetables on what land is available near the displaced and in refugee camps. It’s also appealing to donors³ for $12 million in humanitarian⁴ aid. It would be used to help about 500,000 people cope with current conditions and build more weather resilient agricultural systems. Another $10 million is needed, it said, to assist the newly displaced and families who are sharing their homes and food with them.

FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva has held talks with Mali’s agricultural minister about resuming food production when the security situation permits.

1 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 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》

4 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。