2007年VOA标准英语-Somalis Continue to Flee Violence in Mogadishu

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
28 September 2007

The U.N. refugee agency says it has begun distributing much-needed relief supplies for some 24,000 people in the Somali town of Afgooye, 30 kilometers west of the capital Mogadishu. The UNHCR reports families are still fleeing Mogadishu every day due to an increase in violence. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

The U.N. refugee agency describes the situation in Mogadishu as chaotic¹, with people desperate to leave the capital.

It says thousands of people have fled their homes as the fighting and violence in Mogadishu has escalated² over the past two weeks.

The UNHCR reports nearly 65,000 people have fled Mogadishu since the beginning of June. And, more than 40,000 of them have gone to Afgooye.

U.N. refugee spokeswoman, Jennifer Pagonis, says the town is overcrowded and living conditions are deplorable.

"Our staff are now reporting that along the road from Mogadishu there are 22 settlements that have sprung up by families who fled the capital earlier in the year. And, they are now feeling the burden of this recent influx³ of new arrivals," she said. "They say that sometimes people are so numerous that they are blocking the road. Many are families who cannot afford the cost of transportation further afield. Others want to remain close to the city and hope to return as soon as the violence ceases. And, other people just go back to the city during the day to try and earn a living."

Pagonis says people are still fleeing Mogadishu every day due to an increase in violence. This week, she says the Somali Transitional Federal Government ordered residents of three northern districts in the capital to leave their houses.

The TFG claims they were supporting the insurgents⁴, following the death of several soldiers and a commander.

Pagonis says Mogadishu residents have started using an alternative road to flee the city as the road to Afgooye is clogged⁵ with people. She says new settlements have sprung up along this road. She says living conditions there are very precarious⁶. Water is not being trucked into the area and shelter material is not available.

"Mogadishu is becoming divided into two parts. The northern part becoming increasingly deserted⁷ as there are clashes between the TFG forces and insurgents and the southern part of the city calm," she said. "So, while some people have fled the city and got out of it, others have moved to the southern part where they have relatives. But, they fear that the fighting might spread into that area as well."

Pagonis describes the streets of northern Mogadishu as desolate⁸. She says the Bakara market, which used to be one of the biggest in East Africa, is barely functioning. She says the lack of commerce severely⁹ threatens the local economy. She says people remaining in the capital say daily life has become unbearable¹⁰.

1 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

2 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

3 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

4 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

5 clogged   

（使）阻碍( clog的过去式和过去分词 )； 淤滞

参考例句：

• The narrow streets were clogged with traffic. 狭窄的街道上交通堵塞。
• The intake of gasoline was stopped by a clogged fuel line. 汽油的注入由于管道阻塞而停止了。

6 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 desolate   

adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂

参考例句：

• The city was burned into a desolate waste.那座城市被烧成一片废墟。
• We all felt absolutely desolate when she left.她走后，我们都觉得万分孤寂。

9 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

10 unbearable   

adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的

参考例句：

• It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
• The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。