2007年VOA标准英语-Number of Internally Displaced in Iraq Increasi

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
16 February 2007

The Geneva-based International Organization for Migration¹ reports that over the past three weeks alone almost 18,000 people have been displaced in Iraq, and it expects the number to grow much higher as the year goes on. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

An Iraqi woman at a camp in Diwaniyah, 130 kilometers south of Baghdad

The International Organization for Migration estimates that the number of newly displaced people in Iraq could reach one million by the end of the year. And the group's spokeswoman, Jemini Pandya, says displaced people are likely to face even greater hardships in the coming months than they do now.

"It is very worrying, not least because there are fewer and fewer communities within Iraq [that] are able to absorb and assist the newly displaced," she said. "Some of the more stable governorates, which are facing an increasing burden on their social infrastructures² are now either restricting entrance or not allowing newly displaced to come there."

Pandya says it is getting very hard for people to find places of refuge inside Iraq and even those who succeed are having great difficulty surviving.

Out of a population of around 26 million people, about 1.5 million Iraqis are internally displaced persons. Most were displaced before the 2003 war, due to three decades of conflict, sanctions and the policies of Saddam Hussein's regime.

IOM says emergency supplies such as shelter and food are urgently needed. Many of the displaced are renting space in dilapidated buildings or are building makeshift houses that often lack electricity, insulation³ or sanitation⁴ and kitchen facilities.

Pandya says IOM has received reports that many displaced children are forced to work or beg to support their families. Some are getting violent.

"In one governorate, Dyala, it has been reported to IOM that children between 10 and 14 have joined local insurgents⁵, partly as a way of getting money or partly as revenge action to acts that have been committed on family members," she said.

Pandya says malnutrition⁶, disease and infections are growing among children because of a lack of food and the deterioration⁷ of health services, including the exodus⁸ of many health care professionals from Iraq.

IOM says it needs $50 million for its assistance programs this year. It says the response to its appeal so far has been very poor.

1 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

2 infrastructures   

n.基础设施( infrastructure的名词复数 )；基础结构；行政机构；秘密机构

参考例句：

• Public transportation termini and depots are important infrastructures for a city. 公交场站设施是城市重要的基础设施。 来自互联网
• The increasingly fast urbanization process requires more and more infrastructures. 我国城市化进程不断加快，对城市基础设施的需求也越来越大。 来自互联网

3 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。

4 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。

5 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

6 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

7 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

8 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。