VOA标准英语10月-UNHCR: Thousands of Refugees in Camps, Urban Area

A new report finds nearly a third of refugees and other people cared for by the U.N. refugee agency are not getting their basic needs met. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.
　

Congolese refugee's take shelter, at the Nyakabanda transit1 camp near Kisoro, a reception centre in Uganda, (File)

The U.N. refugee agency conducted assessments² in eight pilot countries, including Cameroon, Ecuador, Georgia, Rwanda, Thailand, Tanzania, Yemen and Zambia early this year.

Refugees living in camps, as well as those living in urban areas were surveyed. So were internally displaced and stateless people.

U.N. refugee spokeswoman, Jennifer Pagonis tells VOA aid workers were unprepared for what they found.

"And, the startling finding, I think, was really that 30 percent of the basic needs of refugees are not being met. And, that is for education, health, sanitation³," said Pagonis. "Very simple things like this that can have such a profound effect on the lives of refugees."

Pagonis says refugees living in camps tend to get assistance, such as food, from humanitarian⁴ agencies. She says they also live in a slightly more protected environment than do urban refugees.
　

Somali refugees are seen on in Kharaz refugee camp, where they are being housed by the UNHCR (File)

She says the concerns of refugees living in cities are different. She says they may be living in apartments, may lack documents and may face eviction⁵ or deportation⁶. She says urban refugees tend to need more legal protection from the UNHCR.

She says the report was done in Georgia before the latest conflict in August. She says aid workers looked at the plight⁷ of some 100,000 refugees and displaced people who fled from the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in the 1990's.

She says they are still living in collective centers.

"And, the conditions in those collective centers could only be described as deplorable. Lack of access to water, lack of access to a functioning sewage system. Very, very basic things. Very cramped⁸ conditions. Whole families from grandmothers down to grand children living in one room," added Pagonis. "These are the kinds of conditions that were found. And, as a consequence of this there were family tensions. Children were not going to school. There were problems with health from lack of sanitation and access to clean water."

Pagonis says each of the eight pilot countries surveyed had their own tragic⁹ stories to tell. While the refugee situations differ, Pagonis says they share a sense of common deprivation¹⁰.

She says the assessments identify areas which should be improved. These include access to asylum¹¹ systems, registration¹², documentation and border monitoring. She says child protection and measures to prevent sexual abuse and violence also need to be strengthened.

She says the UNHCR will ask donors¹³ for $63.5 million to provide more of the refugees' unmet needs.

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

3 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

4 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。

5 eviction   

n.租地等的收回

参考例句：

• The family have won a temporary reprieve from eviction.这个家庭暂时免于被逐出。
• He claimed damages for unlawful eviction.他要求对非法驱逐作出赔偿。

6 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

7 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

8 cramped   

a.狭窄的

参考例句：

• The house was terribly small and cramped, but the agent described it as a bijou residence. 房子十分狭小拥挤，但经纪人却把它说成是小巧别致的住宅。
• working in cramped conditions 在拥挤的环境里工作

9 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

10 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

11 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

12 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

13 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》