2007年VOA标准英语-UN Warns of Health Crisis in Flood-Stricken Sou

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
07 August 2007

wades1 through a flooded street to collect food in Sirajgonj, about 104 kilometers (65 miles) north of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, 03 Aug 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070811/0924350.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

A woman wades through a flooded street to collect food in Sirajgonj, about 104 kilometers (65 miles) north of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, 03 Aug 2007

United Nations aid agencies are warning that millions of people across South Asia are still facing hunger after some of the worst floods in decades. They say supplies of clean water must reach people marooned² by floodwaters in the coming days to head off catastrophic outbreaks of disease. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

United Nations aid agencies say they are rushing supplies of clean water, food and medicines to the stricken area, but they are limited in what they can do. They say floodwaters in India, Nepal and Bangladesh have cut off many areas from road traffic. They say many places only are accessible by air and by boat.

The agencies say stagnant³ flood waters are breeding grounds for diarrheal and water borne disease, including cholera⁴ as well as insect-borne diseases such as malaria⁵ and dengue fever.

Spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, Fadela Chaib says about 1,400 cases of diarrhea have been reported in Bangladesh and hundreds of others in Nepal.

"Also, we are concerned about acute respiratory infections, as I said diarrheal diseases, vector-borne diseases and snake bites are also another concern," she said. "In Nepal, for example, WHO has pre-positioned diarrheal and emergency health kits⁶ in the most vulnerable areas and is now procuring⁷ supplies to equip the more than 10 medical teams in Nepal."

Flooding is an annual event throughout South Asia. But, this year's monsoons⁹ are regarded as some of the worst to have hit the region in many years. Some 30 million people have been affected¹⁰ by flash flooding in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

World Food Program spokesman, Simon Pluess, says the effects of the flooding will linger on for a very long time.

"Families have lost crops and livestock¹¹. Houses and roads have been destroyed and livelihoods¹² and schooling¹³ have been disrupted. Large water masses and soaring temperatures can lead to outbreak of diseases which, of course, puts the health and nutrition of children and vulnerable people at risk," he explained.

Pluess says only Nepal has asked for food assistance, which WFP is prepared to provide.

The U.N. Children's Fund says children, who make up 40 percent of South Asia's population, are particularly susceptible¹⁴ to water-borne and food-borne diseases. The agency says it is carrying out measles¹⁵ vaccination¹⁶ campaigns in Nepal and Bangladesh. And, it is airlifting tankers¹⁷ of purified water to the region.

Other U.N. agencies report they, along with private aid groups and governments also are working to deliver water, re-hydration salts and emergency medical supplies.

In the meantime, the World Meteorological Organization says unsettled weather will continue for the next two day and it is likely that South Asia will be in for a lengthy¹⁸ monsoon⁸ season.

1 wades   

（从水、泥等）蹚，走过，跋( wade的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A lumi wields a golden morningstar with trained ease as it wades into melee. 光民熟练地挥舞钉头锤加入战团。

2 marooned   

adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的

参考例句：

• During the storm we were marooned in a cabin miles from town. 在风暴中我们被围困在离城数英里的小屋内。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks. 埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。 来自辞典例句

3 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

4 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

5 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

6 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。

7 procuring   

v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条

参考例句：

• He was accused of procuring women for his business associates. 他被指控为其生意合伙人招妓。 来自辞典例句
• She had particular pleasure, in procuring him the proper invitation. 她特别高兴为他争得这份体面的邀请。 来自辞典例句

8 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

9 monsoons   

n.（南亚、尤指印度洋的）季风( monsoon的名词复数 )；（与季风相伴的）雨季；（南亚地区的）雨季

参考例句：

• In Ban-gladesh, the monsoons have started. 在孟加拉，雨季已经开始了。 来自辞典例句
• The coastline significantly influences the monsoons in two other respects. 海岸线在另外两个方面大大地影响季风。 来自辞典例句

10 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。

11 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

12 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

13 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

14 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

15 measles   

n.麻疹，风疹，包虫病，痧子

参考例句：

• The doctor is quite definite about Tom having measles.医生十分肯定汤姆得了麻疹。
• The doctor told her to watch out for symptoms of measles.医生叫她注意麻疹出现的症状。

16 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

17 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

18 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。