2006年VOA标准英语-ICRC Says Humanitarian Situation in Sri Lanka W

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
01 September 2006

The International Committee of the Red Cross says it is stepping up humanitarian¹ assistance to thousands of civilians³ in eastern and northern Sri Lanka, as fighting between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels continues.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from ICRC headquarters in Geneva.

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Sri Lankan security forces inspect goods as they are loaded aboard a cargo⁴ ship in Colombo, bound for northern Jaffna peninsula 
  
The International Committee of the Red Cross says the situation in the east and north of Sri Lanka has taken a serious turn for the worse in the last six weeks. The Jaffna Peninsula was cut off from the rest of the country by continuing heavy fighting for most of this time.  A few days ago, the government and Tamil Tiger rebels allowed a cargo ship flying the ICRC flag to bring more than 1,500 tons of food and medicine to the besieged⁵ population.

But ICRC Delegate General for Asia and the Pacific Reto Meister says access to the area has once again been suspended.  He has just returned from a week-long visit to Sri Lanka, where he met with government and Tamil Tiger representatives.  He tells VOA, he was unable to persuade the parties to let supply goods enter the area.

“We are asking the parties to find a suitable compromise, or a suitable mutually agreed solution, because the longer this ‘embargo’ (in brackets) lasts,” said Meister, “the more dramatic the situation will become for that one-quarter of a million inhabitants of Jaffna." 

Until the supply lines were cut, the Red Cross had been caring for 109,000 civilians in Jaffna, including 40,000 who have been internally displaced.  The organization was providing medical care and basic goods, such as tarpaulins⁶, hygiene⁷ kits⁸, water and shelter.

Meister says the humanitarian consequences of the fighting and impact on the civilian² population are immense.

"It affects civilians, large numbers of civilians that have been affected⁹ by previous confrontations¹⁰ and hostilities,” said Meister, “and many of them also have fallen victims to the December 2004 tsunami¹¹.  You have people that are punished, it seems, or at least are falling from one drama into another." 

Meister says many of the projects for reconstruction¹² on the east coast have come to a standstill due to the conflict.

Media reports estimate 1,500 fighters on both sides have been killed and 1,200 wounded.  More than 460 civilians reportedly have been killed and 635 wounded.  Countless¹³ others have disappeared; many are presumed dead.

The ICRC currently has 12 expatriate staff in Trincomalee and another six in Jaffna.  Reto Meister says the organization is stepping up its presence there, and is ready to assist 250,00 internally displaced people in the east and north of the country. 

1 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。

2 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

5 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

6 tarpaulins   

n.防水帆布，防水帆布罩( tarpaulin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Main wood to aluminum and plexiglass, PC, tarpaulins, toughened glass. 主材以铝型材与进口有机玻璃、PC、防水布、钢化玻璃。 来自互联网
• That means providing tents or other materials, including plastic sheeting, tarpaulins and wood. 这意味着需要帐篷和其他物资，包括塑料布、放水油布和木材。 来自互联网

7 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

8 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

11 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

12 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

13 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。