VOA常速英语2008年-Cyclone Ivan Ravages Madagascar

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
25 February 2008

Cyclone¹ Ivan, the worst to hit Madagascar in several years, has claimed at least 44 lives, and left 145,000 people homeless. VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg.

The National Office for Natural Disasters Preparedness (BNGRC) and humanitarian² organizations in the cyclone-prone country say that the full extent of the damage caused by high winds and flooding is being revealed now that the torrential rains which followed Cyclone Ivan in Madagascar have lifted.

In addition to the cost in human lives and damage to private homes, the cyclone and flooding have damaged roads, communications and other infrastructure³, and caused contamination to water supplies. UNICEF Emergency Specialist Edouard Libeau, says the major concern right now is prevention of water-borne and other diseases such as malaria⁴.

"Urgent action is crucial to prevent outbreak of diseases actually... outbreak of diseases is of great concern at the onset⁵ of such a crisis - especially among the children," he said.

Libeau says that emergency packs that include water purification tablets, soap and medications to combat diarrhea are being distributed across the country. Where there is no access by road, helicopters and boats are being used.

Relief agencies say the damage to the rice crop has been severe and will result in food shortages in the coming months. In addition, says UNICEF'S Libeau, seeds will be needed next month to ensure the next harvest.

"And then you have to think about distributing seeds and this should be before the the end of March, because otherwise you miss the next planting season," he said. "And you are going to start to have a food insecurity lasting⁶ and lasting without having any capacity for the population to recover."

Libeau notes that in recent years the government of Madagascar has built cyclone response into its development plans and that this year the country was well prepared having pre-positioned short-term emergency and relief supplies.

But he notes that in the long term, Madagascar will need to look at building and other technologies that will much more significantly cushion the population against cyclone damage.

1 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

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 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

4 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

5 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

6 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。