VOA标准英语2015--UN: Time for Ebola Recovery Strategy

 

UN: Time for Ebola Recovery Strategy

Even though the Ebola outbreak in West Africa continues, the U.N. says it’s time to plan for the recovery of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. A joint¹ mission has just completed its assessment² in Sierra Leone.

The U.N. Development Program led the mission in Sierra Leone. It included representatives of the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the EU and other U.N. agencies.

U.N. Resident Coordinator³ David McLachlan-Karr said, “The purpose was to try and work in a coordinated⁴ fashion towards gauging⁵ the socio-economic impacts of Ebola on Sierra Leone. This country has taken a very hard hit. And Ebola itself I think has exposed a number of the structural⁶ weaknesses that need urgent attention by the international community.”

The mission has assessed how Ebola battered⁷ Sierra Leone’s economy.

He said, “Growth in 2013 was predicted to be about 11-percent. 2014, we think, overall, it will be about four-percent and then 2015, it could be less than two-percent. That itself will tell you just what an enormous impact Ebola has had across the economy as a whole. Investment has basically dried up as companies have left the country fearing, of course, contagion⁸.”

McLachlan-Karr said the ebola outbreak crippled agriculture and mining – two big revenue sources for Sierra Leone – and two sectors¹⁰ providing livelihoods¹¹ for many families.

The mission has identified “key areas” for recovery, including infrastructure¹² and basic services, sanitation¹³ and health.

“Health, of course, is absolutely fundamental to – not only getting over Ebola – but also for the future development of this country. That sector⁹ really needs a lot of support at a structural level. There are systemic problems in terms of the lack of doctors and nurses – the lack of hospitals – the lack of, shall we say, local health clinics. And these are going to have to be addressed I think very aggressively,” he said.

McLachlan-Karr said that very large parts of Sierra Leone lack access to clean water and latrines. That creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes and increases the risk of malaria¹⁴.

“Then, of course, there’s the education sector. About 25-percent of children, even before Ebola, were not even in the school system. We need to, in a way, re-set the agenda on education and have serious discussions to ensure that this country doesn’t go backwards¹⁵ on the literacy gains of the past decade -- but also can ensure that’s there’s more inclusive education across the sectors,” he said.

The U.N. mission also recommended improvements in governance.

“There are inefficiencies,” he said, “There are accountability and transparencies that we need to build into service delivery in this country. And we’ll be working very seriously with the government about having a conversation on how the U.N. system and the international community can support public sector reform in order to ensure that social services – not only decentralize – but actually really deliver on the services they’re meant to provide to the people.”

The UNDP official also said the private sector has a “huge role to play” in Sierra Leone’s recovery. But that requires restoring investor¹⁶ confidence in the country.

A recovery strategy could be in place in a few months, but, he says, that depends on how much progress has been made against Ebola. In December, about 500 new cases were being reported each week. It’s much lower now.

“We’re not out of the woods yet. We’re still having in the vicinity of a hundred to two hundred cases per week, which is far too many. Diseases contagious¹⁷ as Ebola, one case is too many. We still have a major health crisis on our hands, which needs to be brought under control as quickly as possible, said McLachlan-Karr.

The U.N. Development Program said poverty and environmental degradation¹⁸ helped worsen the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. The UNDP is also conducting assessment missions in Guinea and Liberia.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

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 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

5 gauging   

n.测量[试]，测定，计量v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的现在分词 )；估计；计量；划分

参考例句：

• The method is especially attractive for gauging natural streams. 该方法对于测量天然的流注具有特殊的吸引力。 来自辞典例句
• Incommunicative as he was, some time elapsed before I had an opportunity of gauging his mind. 由于他不爱说话，我过了一些时候才有机会探测他的心灵。 来自辞典例句

6 structural   

adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的

参考例句：

• The storm caused no structural damage.风暴没有造成建筑结构方面的破坏。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities.北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

7 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

8 contagion   

n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延

参考例句：

• A contagion of fear swept through the crowd.一种恐惧感在人群中迅速蔓延开。
• The product contagion effect has numerous implications for marketing managers and retailers.产品传染效应对市场营销管理者和零售商都有很多的启示。

9 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。

10 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 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。

12 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

13 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。

14 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。

15 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

16 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

17 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

18 degradation   

n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变

参考例句：

• There are serious problems of land degradation in some arid zones.在一些干旱地带存在严重的土地退化问题。
• Gambling is always coupled with degradation.赌博总是与堕落相联系。