2006年VOA标准英语-UN Reports Unprecedented Decline in Palestinian

By Jim Teeple
Jerusalem
23 November 2006

A new U.N. report warns of an unprecedented¹ decline in the Palestinian economy, saying poor Palestinians have been hit hardest of all. VOA's Jim Teeple has details from our Jerusalem bureau.

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wails2 in front of her olive grove3 which was cut by Israeli settlers as Israeli security men stand close to her, 11 June 2006" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070509/1550350.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

Palestinian farmer Aisha Jaber, 47, wails in front of her olive grove which was cut by Israeli settlers as Israeli security men stand close to her, 11 June 2006

The report from the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, known as UNRWA, says there has been a 64 percent increase in the number of Palestinians living in what the U.N. describes as deep poverty or on about $2 a day since 2005. According to the report more than one million Palestinians live in deep poverty.

The report also says there has been an overall household decline in income of more than $300 million in the past year, accelerating a trend which began in 2000 when the second Palestinian intifada began. About 30 percent of Palestinians are unemployed⁴ - a figure that has also more than doubled since 2000.

A U.S. economist⁵ who compiled the report for UNRWA, Salem Ajluni, says the rise in so-called deep poverty and a sharp drop in manufacturing, have been especially noticeable in the Gaza Strip.

"When you reduce household incomes from the public sector⁶ alone by about $330 million you are going to get an increase in deep poverty, there is a result there. It is always the case that there is a disproportionate impact on the Gazan economy," he said. "If the public sector takes a hit they get it magnified there. If there are movement restrictions⁷ it affects them more."

The U.N. report says the current economic crisis in the Palestinian territories has largely been induced by a cutoff of customs and tax revenue that Israel turns over to the Palestinian Authority, and a suspension of donor⁸ aid from the international community, especially from the United States and the European Union. The revenues were suspended months ago after the militant¹⁰ group Hamas took control of the Palestinian government and refused to modify its stance of not recognizing Israel, renouncing¹¹ terrorism, or recognizing previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

About 165,000 Palestinians work for the Palestinian Authority, including more than 70,000 in the security forces. Since this year's financial crisis began they have been receiving on average about 40 percent of their wages, which Salem Ajluni says has further crippled the Palestinian economy.

"Basically it is a starved public sector, and that public sector and the reduction in income generated by the public sector has had these specific effects," he added.

Ajluni says the situation has been made worse because after Israelis, Palestinians have been the second-highest recipients¹² of international aid in the world.

In a bid to end the crisis Palestinian factions¹³ have been holding marathon talks for weeks now to try and form a unity⁹ government not led by Hamas.

International donors¹⁴, and Israel have said that donor aid, and the customs and tax revenues that Israel transfers to the Palestinians, will be resumed once a new government agrees to recognize Israel, renounce¹⁵ violence and respect previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

1 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

2 wails   

痛哭，哭声( wail的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The child burst into loud wails. 那个孩子突然大哭起来。
• Through this glaciated silence the white wails of the apartment fixed arbitrary planes. 在这冰封似的沉寂中，公寓的白色墙壁构成了一个个任意的平面。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻

3 grove   

n.林子，小树林，园林

参考例句：

• On top of the hill was a grove of tall trees.山顶上一片高大的树林。
• The scent of lemons filled the grove.柠檬香味充满了小树林。

4 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 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。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 donor   

n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体

参考例句：

• In these cases,the recipient usually takes care of the donor afterwards.在这类情况下，接受捐献者以后通常会照顾捐赠者。
• The Doctor transplanted the donor's heart to Mike's chest cavity.医生将捐赠者的心脏移植进麦克的胸腔。

9 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。

10 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

11 renouncing   

v.声明放弃( renounce的现在分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• He enraged the government by renouncing the agreement. 他否认那项协议，从而激怒了政府。 来自辞典例句
• What do you get for renouncing Taiwan and embracing Beijing instead? 抛弃台湾，并转而拥抱北京之后，你会得到什么？ 来自互联网

12 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

14 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》

15 renounce   

v.放弃；拒绝承认，宣布与…断绝关系

参考例句：

• She decided to renounce the world and enter a convent.她决定弃绝尘世去当修女。
• It was painful for him to renounce his son.宣布与儿子脱离关系对他来说是很痛苦的。