VOA标准英语10月-Thousands of People Displaced in Philippines 'For

The International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC, says hundreds of thousands of people in the Philippines war-torn Central Mindanao Province are facing a humanitarian¹ crisis. But, it says, no one is paying attention. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva.

Fighting is a way of life in Central Mindanao. It has been going on for decades. And the International Committee of the Red Cross said the conflict displaces about 100,000 people every year.
　

Philippine troops fire a howitzer towards the positions of the Muslim separatist rebels in Maguindanao province, 21, Aug, 2008

But an eruption² of fighting between government and Muslim rebels in August intensified³ the crisis. The Philippines government estimates that during a three-week period, about 600,000 people were affected⁴ by the fighting and many of them fled.

To add to their woes⁵, the Red Cross said people in Central Mindanao were hit by a typhoon. It said heavy flooding also caused massive displacement⁶.

The ICRC Outgoing Head of Delegation⁷ in the Philippines, Felipe Donoso, called this a "double punishment". Despite these events, he said the people in the region are all but forgotten. He noted⁸ that long, low-simmering conflicts often do not make the news.

He said, "But this low intensity⁹ armed conflict-it produces high intensity of humanitarian consequences on the people - meaning, of course, civilians¹¹ being killed, their property being destroyed, their crops, their livelihoods¹² and a situation of extended period of displacement, which is new, if you compare it with recent years."
　

Philippines, Mindanao Island

Donoso explained that people in Mindanao are used to being displaced. But, he said, they typically leave their homes for a few days, until the immediate¹³ danger is over, and then they return.

However, this time, he said the intensity of the fighting has caused widespread security problems and fear among the people. He said many who do not dare to go home have been staying in temporary shelters for several weeks.

He said people in this region are constantly on the move. And he said that moving from one place to another has become a normal way of life. "These people, they know, that whatever happens every year, they will be displaced - once, twice, three times a year," said Donoso. "And this is part of life. This is part of life. And that is the drama of these people. And that is why they do not get our interest. There is no visibility, but there are really humanitarian consequences. There is a real situation there. There are really people dying. There are really people affected every day with heavy humanitarian consequences and no visibility."

Donoso said the ICRC has stepped up the distribution of food and essential items to displaced people in Central Mindanao. He said that since August, aid has been handed out to more than 120,000 people.

In addition, he said the Red Cross is monitoring the effects of the hostilities¹⁴ on the civilian¹⁰ population. It also is speaking regularly with the warring parties on their need to protect civilians.

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 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

3 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

6 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。

7 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

10 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。

11 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。

12 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

13 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

14 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。