VOA标准英语2008年-UNHCR Running Out of Money to Repatriate Southe

The UN refugee agency says it is running out of money to help Southern Sudan refugees go home. The UNHCR says it has a shortfall of $11.9 million. It warns it will be forced to shut down the repatriation¹ operation this year if it does not get the money. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.
　
Southern Sudanese refugees disembark from the barge² that brought them up the Nile river to the town of Malakal, Jan 2008

The UN refugee agency says the voluntary repatriation program has been a huge success. It reports nearly 290,000 Southern Sudanese refugees have gone home since the operation began three years ago.

UNHCR spokeswoman, Jennifer Pagonis, says repatriation to Southern Sudan could be completed by the end of 2009 or the first quarter of 2010, if the current return trend continues, But, she says this depends on getting funding on time for the rest of this year and next.

"The rainy season will come to a halt around about October and there is a large number of refugees who have indicated that they want to come home as soon as the rainy season is over during which we normally suspend the return operation," said Pagonis. "Or it runs at a very slow rate. So, we need to have that money in hand so we can get on with transporting them home and providing the basic services for them for when they arrive."

Nearly 130,000 refugees from southern Sudan remain in exile. Most are from camps in neighboring Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia. They fled from Sudan's long-running civil war, which ended when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement or CPA was signed between the Muslim north and Christian³ and animist south in January 2005.

Pagonis says money is needed to provide services such as clean water, health and education facilities. They also need agricultural assistance so returnees can grow their own food once they are back home.

"Conditions are tough back in southern Sudan," said Pagonis. "Nobody is saying that things are perfect, but there are still problems with water supply, with education and it is by no means easy for refugees to return there."

"But, the thing is they overwhelmingly wish to return and are signing up. I think there is more confidence in the CPA. We saw a big surge toward the beginning of the year around April, that they wanted to be home to register for the census⁴ which means that they could vote in the elections that were coming up later," she added.

Pagonis stresses it is the refugees' desire to go home which is driving the repatriation operation. She says the UNHCR needs the funds to support them when they get there so they will stay home.

　

 

1 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

2 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。