2007年VOA标准英语-UN Chief 'Gravely Concerned' About Somalia

By Peter Heinlein
United Nations
26 April 2007

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern at the violence in Somalia. VOA's Peter Heinlein at U.N. headquarters reports officials also fear the consequences of Somalia's burgeoning¹ humanitarian² crisis.

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Displaced Somali children at the Elasha camp on the outskirts of Mogadishu, 26 Apr 2007

On a day when Somalia's prime minister claimed strong gains over Islamic insurgents⁴, Secretary-General Ban expressed doubts about the Mogadishu government's ability to maintain order in the war-ravaged country. He told reporters he had held extensive talks on Somalia during his just-completed trip to the Middle East.

"I am gravely concerned about the on-going violence in Somalia and I have discussed with all parties concerned, while traveling with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and other leaders," said Ban Ki-moon. "I am also very much troubled by the fact that the Transitional Federal Government is not able to sustain the momentum⁵ thus created politically."

The top U.N. humanitarian official this week described Somalia as the most dangerous place in the world for relief workers to operate. Undersecretary General John Holmes said humanitarian aid operations were being hampered⁶ by probably the worst fighting in and around Mogadishu in 16 years.

"The U.N. had been helping⁷ something like a million people already, and that situation had seemed to be improving, which makes it particularly tragic⁸ the deterioration⁹ we've seen in recent weeks and recent days," said John Holmes. "The level of displacement¹⁰ from Mogadishu has reached something like 320,000 , which is one-third of the entire population of the city, and that figure is rising every day as the fighting continues."

Holmes said aid is reaching only about 60,000 of the 320,000 homeless. He described their condition as 'worrying'.

"They have virtually nothing, and a lot of them are living under trees, which they are apparently¹¹ having to rent, for shelter, and they are in great difficulty," he said.

Holmes says civilians¹² are being caught in the crossfire¹³ as Ethiopian and Somali force battle insurgents in the streets of Mogadishu. He accused all sides in the fighting of responsibility for failing to stay within international law. He said one hospital had apparently been deliberately¹⁴ targeted by shelling and artillery¹⁵ fire.

Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991. Ethiopian troops entered the country late last year to help the transitional government drive out rival Islamist forces who had control of Mogadishu. Islamist fighters are believed to make up the majority of the insurgents.

1 burgeoning   

adj.迅速成长的，迅速发展的v.发芽，抽枝( burgeon的现在分词 )；迅速发展；发（芽），抽（枝）

参考例句：

• Our company's business is burgeoning now. 我们公司的业务现在发展很迅速。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These efforts were insufficient to contain the burgeoning crisis. 这些努力不足以抑制迅速扩散的危机。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

4 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

5 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

6 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

9 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。

10 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。

11 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

12 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。

13 crossfire   

n.被卷进争端

参考例句：

• They say they are caught in the crossfire between the education establishment and the government.他们称自己被卷进了教育机构与政府之间的争端。
• When two industrial giants clash,small companies can get caught in the crossfire.两大工业企业争斗之下，小公司遭受池鱼之殃。

14 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

15 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。