VOA标准英语2010年-Aid Distribution Improves As Clinton D

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says some members of the international press 'misconstrued' her country's military and civilian¹ response to provide aid to Haitians who desperately² need it

Barry Newhouse | Port-au-Prince, Haiti 26 January 2010

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton at the State Department in Washington, 26 Jan 2010

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended aid efforts in Haiti on Tuesday, following international criticism of the U.S.-led earthquake relief operation. There are more signs that international troops, aid groups and Haitian authorities are improving the distribution of free food and water.

Since the United States took the lead in handling logistics for the international aid effort, some medical groups as well as French and Brazilian officials have complained that U.S. military planes were given priority to land, forcing other flights to the neighboring Dominican Republic. Italy's foreign minister recently called the U.S. leadership in the crisis a "pathetic" failure. Some news agencies have compared the operation to a military occupation.

 

Clinton says she "deeply resented" the criticism.  "As is often the case, some of the international press either misunderstood or deliberately³ misconstrued what was a civilian and military response -- both of them necessary to be able to deliver aid to the Haitians who desperately needed it," she said.

International relief efforts have struggled to overcome the enormous logistical challenges of bringing food, water and temporary shelter to the hundreds of thousands of people left homeless by the earthquake.  But there are signs of progress.

In the massive tent city across the street from the ruined presidential palace, thousands of Haitians lined up on Tuesday for food distributions.  Across the street, the parking lot of Haiti's elite⁴ police emergency response unit has become an open-air medical clinic.

A police inspector⁵ at the site who refused to give his name says Haitian police have radically⁶ changed their mission in recent days.  He says police used to work to maintain order in the city, but now they working to meet the needs of the people.

U.S. military commanders say that despite the desperate conditions in parts of the capital, food distributions overall have been orderly.

On Tuesday, private water companies agreed to provide free clean drinking water to the relief effort.  In a neighborhood in northern Port-au-Prince the line for clean water was long.

As the crowd jostled to fill plastic containers, resident Mary Josee said she welcomed the newly available supply, but said she is more worried about getting food for the eight members of her family now camped out in their front yard. "I am hungry.  I am hungry, hungry, hungry," she said. 

U.S. officials are setting up as many as 15 food distribution points throughout Port-au-Prince to feed more than 200,000 people per day.

Josee says she has heard about the centers, but that she has not been able to visit one. She points to her leg, which was injured in the quake.  She says the nearest food station is too far for her to walk.  So for now, she and her family are making do with what little they have.

1 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。

2 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

3 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

4 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

5 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

6 radically   

ad.根本地，本质地

参考例句：

• I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
• The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。