2007年VOA标准英语-More Sudanese Refugees in Uganda Returning Home

By Lisa Schlein
Geneva
19 August 2007

Uganda

The UN refugee agency says more Sudanese refugees in Uganda are voluntarily returning to their homes in South Sudan following the withdrawal¹ of the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army, from the area. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

The UN refugee agency says security has gradually returned to many parts of Eastern Equatoria State in Sudan following the departure of the rebel Lord's Resistance Army around the middle of this year. It says this has boosted the confidence of many Sudanese refugees who want to return home.

UNHCR Spokesman, William Spindler, says his agency will be helping² more Sudanese who wish to return home. To facilitate the returns, he says the UNHCR has opened a new corridor through the town of Nimule, on the southern tip of Sudan's border with Uganda.

"The new route links the refugee settlements in Uganda with Eastern Equatoria State in Sudan. Uganda hosts one of the largest populations of Sudanese refugees. Some 70 percent of the 160-thousand Sudanese refugees living in a string of 11 camps in Uganda originate from Sudan's Central and Eastern Equatoria States," he said. "Nimule is the third repatriation³ corridor between the two countries."

The Lord's Resistance Army has waged a civil war against the Ugandan government for more than a decade. Since the mid-1990s, it has been active in Eastern Equatoria State, using Sudanese territory as a base.

From there, it mounted attacks into northern Uganda. The rebels terrorized villagers, abducted⁴ residents and regularly ambushed⁵ vehicles traveling via Nimule from northern Uganda to Juba in south Sudan.

Spindler says he expects that in the coming months, many Sudanese will return to homes they fled years ago during the civil war in south Sudan. The civil war ended with a peace agreement in 2005. Spindler says most will probably go back on their own, but some will need help from the UNHCR.

"One of the reasons why we expect the numbers to increase in the next few months is that many people want to go back in time to enroll⁶ their children for the next school season, which I think is around October," said Spindler. "So, many of them will want to go back before then so that the children can start a new academic year in Sudan…We help the most vulnerable ones. And, we assist some of them with transport, and we also assist some of the ones that return spontaneously. We have a return package which includes basic relief items."

Spindler says the UNHCR also is continuing to organize voluntary repatriations of Sudanese from Kakuma camp in northwestern Kenya. He says, so far, more than 25,000 Sudanese refugees have returned home.

1 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

2 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。

3 repatriation   

n.遣送回国，归国

参考例句：

• The Volrep programme is the preferred means of repatriation. 政府认为自愿遣返计划的遣返方法较为可取。 来自互联网
• Arrange the cargo claiming and maritime affairs,crews repatriation,medical treatment,traveling so on. （六）洽办货物理赔，船舶海事处理，办理船员遣返，就医，旅游等。 来自互联网

4 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

5 ambushed   

v.埋伏( ambush的过去式和过去分词 )；埋伏着

参考例句：

• The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The military vehicles were ambushed. 军车遭到伏击。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 enroll   

v.招收；登记；入学；参军；成为会员（英)enrol

参考例句：

• I should like to enroll all my children in the swimming class.我愿意让我的孩子们都参加游泳班。
• They enroll him as a member of the club.他们吸收他为俱乐部会员。