2007年VOA标准英语-UN Multi-Billion Dollar Appeal For Countries In

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
17 July 2007

The United Nations reports less than half of its $4.4 billion appeal has been received, six months after it was launched on behalf of 19 countries in crisis. The United Nations says lack of money is hampering¹ the effective delivery of humanitarian² assistance to the most vulnerable people in the world. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

Sixteen of the 19 countries in crisis are in Africa. The United Nations says countries such as Ivory Coast, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo Brazzaville are only 33 percent funded. And, even the Palestinian Territories, one of the world's highest profile areas, has received only 29 percent of what it needs.

As a consequence, U.N. officials say a number of urgent humanitarian programs had to be suspended. And, in regions emerging from conflict, such as the Great Lakes and West Africa, they say money often is not available to support projects that would help them transition to peace and development.

coordinator3 John Holmes gives a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya, 14 May 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070719/1000120.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

John Holmes, May 2007

U.N. Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, says one fortunate exception is Burundi, which has been chronically⁴ underfunded in the past. He says the situation there is improving as it moves toward early recovery and development.

"Burundi this year is on top of the funding chart for funding at this stage of the year, with 62 percent of its overall requirements met," said Holmes. "We also have a situation in Chad, which is 60 percent funded which is actually pretty good for this stage of the year."

"Although, even there, I would say that given the difficulties that there are and the worsening IDP [internally displaced persons] crisis which exists and the continuing problems, the spillover from Darfur and so on, even there, 60 percent is really not enough," he added.

Holmes says donor⁵ countries tend to fund their favorite projects to the neglect of others that might be equally important. He says the food sector⁶ always attracts a lot of money. But, health, water and shelter do not. He says some way must be found to spread the money out more evenly.

He says all 19 crises are worthy⁷ of support. But, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is one that should command special attention. He says the DRC is an enormous country with enormous needs. And, years of conflict have plunged⁸ the population into depths of desperation.

"For example, the rapes⁹ and sexual violence are truly horrifying¹⁰, where the humanitarian consequences of renewed fighting, if that is what we get in the East, I hope we do not, but, we cannot exclude it, would be again catastrophic," said Holmes.

"Whether the death rates are very high for all sorts of reasons. So, I think that is the one that I would perhaps single out. I think Chad, although it is reasonably well funded is a situation I am particularly worried about. The Central African Republic too. But, also Somalia," he continued. 

Holmes says Somalia is burdened with newly displaced people as well as tens of thousands of long-standing homeless people. He says recurrent floods and drought also add to the peoples' misery¹¹. And, the lack of a political structure, he says, makes Somalia a dangerous place and prevents aid workers from reaching the needy¹².

1 hampering   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• So fraud on cows and development aid is seriously hampering growth. 因此在牛问题上和发展补助上的诈骗严重阻碍了发展。
• Short-termism, carbon-trading, disputing the science-are hampering the implementation of direct economically-led objectives. 短效主义，出售二氧化碳，进行科学辩论，这些都不利于实现以经济为主导的直接目标。

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 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

4 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

5 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。

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 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

8 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

9 rapes   

n.芸苔( rape的名词复数 )；强奸罪；强奸案；肆意损坏v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的第三人称单数 )；强奸

参考例句：

• The man who had committed several rapes was arrested. 那个犯了多起强奸案的男人被抓起来了。 来自辞典例句
• The incidence of reported rapes rose 0.8 percent. 美国联邦调查局还发布了两份特别报告。 来自互联网

10 horrifying   

a.令人震惊的，使人毛骨悚然的

参考例句：

• He went to great pains to show how horrifying the war was. 他极力指出战争是多么的恐怖。
• The possibility of war is too horrifying to contemplate. 战争的可能性太可怕了，真不堪细想。

11 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

12 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。