VOA标准英语2009-42 Million People Uprooted Around World

The U.N. refugee agency reports 42 million people were forcibly uprooted¹ by conflict and persecution² at the end of last year. In its annual report, the UNHCR said most of the world's refugees and internally displaced people are in developing countries.
　
A Somali woman and her child sit in front of a makeshift home after they fled fighting in Mogadishu, 09 Jun 2009

The report said the number of uprooted people reflects a sharp slowdown in repatriation³ and more prolonged conflicts, resulting in victims remaining homeless for longer periods of time.

The total includes 16 million refugees and asylum⁴ seekers and 26 million internally displaced people uprooted within their own country. The U.N. refugee agency noted⁵ the number of IDP's it cares for has more than doubled since 2005. This indicated that more people are being forced from their homes as a result of civil conflict than international wars.

UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond said the vast majority of uprooted people are in developing countries. He said the poorest nations hosted 80 percent of all refugees.

He said this underscores the disproportionate burden carried by those least able to afford it, as well as the need for international support.

"It also shows that some of the more vocal⁶ criticism that you hear in some industrialized countries from populist politicians and some media about being "flooded" with refugees is perhaps a bit overdone⁷ when you consider that 80 percent of the world's refugees are in the poorest countries least able to afford it," he said.
　
Displaced Pakistani families turn back after trying to enter Pakistan's troubled Swat Valley at Got Koto, 05 Jun 2009

Last year's total of 42 million uprooted people represents a drop of about 700,000 over the previous year. But the UNHCR noted new displacement⁸ in 2009 has more than offset⁹ the decline. This includes substantial new displacements¹⁰ in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Somalia.

In addition, the report documented several longer-term internal displacement situations in places such as Colombia, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia.

Redmond said repatriation in 2008 was down. He said altogether about two-million refugees and internally displaced did go home. But, that, he said, is substantially down from the year before.

"Refugee repatriation, which was about 604,000 going home was down 17 percent, while internal displacement returns at 1.4 million were down 34 percent over the previous year. It was the second lowest repatriation total in 15 years and this decline in part reflects deteriorating¹¹ security conditions, namely in Afghanistan and Sudan," he said.

Redmond said 11 million refugees have returned home during the past 10 years, most with UNHCR assistance. But that number now is going down.

The report found major refugee-hosting countries in 2008 included Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Germany, Jordan, Chad, Tanzania and Kenya. And, it said major countries of origin included Afghanistan and Iraq, which together account for nearly half of all refugees under the care of the U.N. High Commissioner¹² for Refugees.

1 uprooted   

v.把（某物）连根拔起( uproot的过去式和过去分词 )；根除；赶走；把…赶出家园

参考例句：

• Many people were uprooted from their homes by the flood. 水灾令许多人背井离乡。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hurricane blew with such force that trees were uprooted. 飓风强烈地刮着，树都被连根拔起了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

3 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

7 overdone   

v.做得过分( overdo的过去分词 )；太夸张；把…煮得太久；（工作等）过度

参考例句：

• The lust of men must not be overdone. 人们的欲望不该过分。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The joke is overdone. 玩笑开得过火。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 displacement   

n.移置，取代，位移，排水量

参考例句：

• They said that time is the feeling of spatial displacement.他们说时间是空间位移的感觉。
• The displacement of all my energy into caring for the baby.我所有精力都放在了照顾宝宝上。

9 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

10 displacements   

n.取代( displacement的名词复数 )；替代；移位；免职

参考例句：

• The laws of physics are symmetrical for translational displacements. 物理定律对平移是对称的。 来自辞典例句
• We encounter only displacements of the first type. 我们只遇到第一类的驱替。 来自辞典例句

11 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

12 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。