AS IT IS 2015-10-26 Supply Road to CAR Too Dangerous, Say Aid Drivers

AS IT IS 2015-10-26 Supply Road to CAR Too Dangerous, Say Aid Drivers

Truck drivers in Cameroon are again refusing to transport food and humanitarian¹ aid to the Central African Republic (CAR).

The drivers have been critical of the United Nations peacekeeping force in the CAR. They say the U.N. peacekeepers are not able to provide enough security for the trucks and their supplies.

Truck driver Ibrahim Soule has been waiting for weeks to bring supplies to the Central African Republic. He is waiting for guarantees from the labor² union representing the drivers.

He says he is not ready to go to the CAR because armed men have been attacking the trucks and the U.N. peacekeepers appear to be helpless.

Arnaud Djoubaye Abazene is the country’s Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation. He said that the U.N. mission in the country, known as MINUSCA, had agreed to protect them. 

The president of the drivers’ union, El Hadj Oumarou, says insecurity remains³.

He says within one month they have reported two deaths, and several vehicles destroyed. He also says that food and equipment were seized, and a few drivers held hostage by armed groups.

In August, Cameroon and CAR officials met in Yaounde to plead with truck drivers to bring the goods and humanitarian aid to those in need. But the drivers have refused. The drivers said they are harassed⁵ in the CAR on the roads linking Bangui, the capital, to Douala.

Already about 18 truck drivers have been killed while transporting humanitarian aid. 

Cameroon's Minister of Transport, Mebe Ngo'o, says the economies of both countries are suffering. He says he is worried about increased crowding at the Douala seaport⁶.

He says it is a new problem that has to be carefully controlled. He says he feels very sure that Cameroon and CAR will find solutions to the new issues in the near future.

CAR depends on the Douala road transport corridor for 90 percent of imports and exports. All of the humanitarian aid and supplies for MINUSCA travel through Douala.

Words in This Story

plead – v. to ask for something

harass⁴ –v. to annoy or bother someone

1 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。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 harass   

vt.使烦恼，折磨，骚扰

参考例句：

• Our mission is to harass the landing of the main Japaness expeditionary force.我们的任务是骚乱日本远征军主力的登陆。
• They received the order to harass the enemy's rear.他们接到骚扰敌人后方的命令。

5 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

6 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。