2007年VOA标准英语-WFP Cuts Rations in Northern Uganda

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
20 April 2007

The World Food Program, WFP, says it has been forced to drastically cut food rations¹ for 1.5 million people in northern Uganda, because it has run out of cash.  WFP says this life-saving program will have to stop by the end of May unless donors² urgently provide more money.  Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

The World Food Program says it has had to slash³ food rations by 60 percent for 1.5 million displaced people and refugees in northern Uganda.  The agency says it has to do this, because it is running a $75 million shortfall from the $130 million appeal it launched earlier this year to help people displaced by years of fighting between government forces and rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army.

Villagers sit in the back of a Ugandan army truck as they are moved to a safe area (file photo)

WFP spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume says she believes donors are under the mistaken impression that since the two sides agreed to a truce⁴ last year, the situation in northern Uganda has stabilized⁵ enough for people to leave their camps and go back home.  While Berthiaume says the situation has improved somewhat in northern Uganda, it is by no means safe. 

"But we still need to be escorted," she explained.  "So, peace is not fully⁶ back in full swing in the northern part of the country.  People are afraid.  People do not want to leave the camp.  Women do not want to bring back their children to the villages, because they are afraid of kidnappings.  There have been so many children kidnapped by the LRA [Lord's Resistance Army] in this part of the country.  And I think it is quite understandable that mothers are afraid and want to feel more secure before going back home." 

The Lord's Resistance Army fought the government of Uganda for two decades.  During that time, the LRA kidnapped more than 10,000 children, massacred civilians⁷, mutilated victims and forced hundreds of thousands of people to abandon their homes and seek refuge in camps. 

When the rebels and government agreed on a truce, there was hope that it would lead to lasting⁸ peace.  But that hope diminished after the rebels' top commanders were indicted⁹ on war crimes charges by the International Criminal Court.  The commanders went into hiding and now peace seems to be a distant prospect¹⁰.

WFP's Berthiaume says even if people wanted to go back home, they have little to go back to.

"The villages have been destroyed," she added.  "Their lands are in ruins.  They do not have any tools.  They do not have any seeds."  

Berthiaume says it will take at least two to three harvests before many Ugandans will be able to produce enough food to feed themselves. Until then, she says, food assistance is essential.

1 rations   

定量( ration的名词复数 )； 配给量； 正常量； 合理的量

参考例句：

• They are provisioned with seven days' rations. 他们得到了7天的给养。
• The soldiers complained that they were getting short rations. 士兵们抱怨他们得到的配给不够数。

2 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》

3 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

4 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

5 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

10 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。