VOA标准英语2014--Some Food Aid Arrives in Bangui 一部分援助食品已经抵达班基

 

Some Food Aid Arrives in Bangui 一部分援助食品已经抵达班基

A vehicle filled with people and heavy load, precedes a convoy¹ of over 100 trucks arriving in the Central African Republic capital Bangui from Cameroon, Monday Jan. 27, 2014. The trucks were loaded with military logistic for French forces and Humanitarian²

Ten trucks carrying 300 tons of emergency food aid have arrived in the Central African Republic capital of Bangui. The World Food Program says, however, the amount is only a fraction of what’s needed to feed many thousands of displaced people. Fighting between Muslim and Christian³ armed groups since early December created the humanitarian crisis.

WFP spokesman Alexis Masciarelli said the trucks arrived after being delayed at the Cameroonian border for nearly three weeks. Drivers feared they would be attacked if they tried to make the trip to the capital.

“They left the border on Saturday and spent two nights on the road – that stretch of 600 kilometers of road between the border and Bangui,” he said.

The trucks carried 300 tons of cereals, including rice and maize⁴ meal.

“Initially, we will probably use that food for distribution here in Bangui, especially at the airport where there’s about 100 thousand displaced people living,” he said.

Masciarelli said that the food that arrived Monday represents barely 10 percent of what’s needed to feed all those in need for one month. Meanwhile, 30 more trucks are still at the border with thousands of tons of food aid. The drivers of those trucks, he said, are still afraid of being attacked.

“We are still in discussion with them trying to convince them that it is safe. We pressed also the African force here, MISCA, to continue providing escorts on that main road. It is really crucial for us that road is clear from insecurity. We’ve heard there are a lot of villages burned on the road. There are a lot of villages that are abandoned and many militias⁵ marauding along the road, as well.”

The World Food program is considering airlifting emergency supplies to Bangui, but only as a last resort. It’s much more expensive to fly in aid.

On Friday, the WFP resumed food distribution in and around the northwestern town of Bossangoa, hundreds of kilometers from Bangui. About 40,000 people need assistance there.

1 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。

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 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

5 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网