2007年VOA标准英语-Red Cross Challenges Grow as Violence Escalates

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
24 May 2007

The head of the Red Cross says worsening conflict in some of the world's most difficult trouble spots present the organization with ever more complex humanitarian¹ challenges. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from ICRC headquarters in Geneva.

ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger says violence around the world has resulted in large-scale internal displacement². He says more robust³ efforts are needed to be made to help the displaced, especially women and children.

The ICRC chief said increasing violence in Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sri Lanka, have caused "immeasurable suffering."

"It is quite clear that if international humanitarian law would be better respected, you would have much less internal displacement," said Kellenberger. "You would have much less because international humanitarian law, it is prohibiting totally attacks on civilians⁵. It is also prohibiting forced displacement."

Kellenberger said the ICRC has also sent a convoy⁶ of 11 trucks carrying 220 tons of food for 20,000 Palestinians trapped in the Nahr al-Bared camp in northern Lebanon.

He says the trucks have left Amman, Jordan and should reach the camp on Friday.

"The situation remains⁷ extremely tense. I have also to say that the water supply system after having been damaged is now out of service and the camp is without electricity. We could not directly go into the camp," he said. "And, we were, the ICRC, we were distributing water, bottled water at the entry of the camp. We remain extremely concerned about the security of up 20,000 civilians who are still inside the camp."

Smoke billows from Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, 21 May 2007

Fighting between the militant⁸ Fatah al-Islam group and the Lebanese army broke out on Sunday. At least 22 militants⁹ and 32 soldiers reportedly have been killed. The civilian⁴ death toll¹⁰ is unknown.

About a third of the camp's residents have fled and gone to Beddawi, another refugee camp. Kellenberger says the ICRC has already distributed 20 tons of relief supplies to the Palestinians.

Last year, the ICRC reports the agency provided water, sanitation¹¹ and construction projects for 16 million people. The Swiss humanitarian agency also provided medical care for sick and wounded people caught in conflict. Its delegates visited detainees and traced lost relatives.

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 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。

3 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 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。

6 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

7 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。

8 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

10 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

11 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。