VOA常速英语2007-UNICEF Says Insecurity in Afghanistan Threatens
时间：2019-01-31 作者：英语课 分类：2007年VOA常速英语（十月）
Geneva
25 October 2007
A U.N. new report warns the recent upsurge of violence in Afghanistan is threatening the progress made in the welfare of women and children since the fall of the Taliban. The U.N. Children's Fund also raises concern about what it sees as slipping support for Afghanistan by the international community. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from the launch of the UNICEF Child Alert Afghanistan report in Geneva.
Now, UNICEF says the Taliban is gone and six million children are going to school. It calls this a remarkable 1 achievement, but says it is not without risk.
Martin Bell is author of the report and UNICEF U.K. ambassador for humanitarian 2 emergencies. He says in the first six months of this year, 44 schools were closed either because of direct attacks or intimidation 3 of parents and children.
Despite the difficulties and the dangers, he says Afghan people are committed to giving their children an education and will, at times, go to extraordinary lengths to see this happen.
"There is one in particular, a fortified 4 village near Herat," Bell said. "A community-based school started by the parents. It keeps going in spite of a degree of instability, in spite of the fact that teachers are not being paid, the textbooks are very few. We have a situation in Afghanistan where all the investment and the help coming from as many as 70 countries is felt right down at the classroom level."
UNICEF says a survey by the U.S. Johns Hopkins University indicates that infant mortality rates have fallen from 250 per 1,000 to 191 per 1,000.
Despite the ongoing 5 war, it says thousands of volunteer health workers traveled throughout the country and immunized hundreds of thousands of children against polio.
UNICEF Representative in Afghanistan, Catherine Mbengue, notes these and other improvements were made during time of conflict and not during a time of peace when so much more could be achieved.
While this is good news, she says Afghanistan has immense needs in every aspect of its social and economic life.
"We need to extend health infrastructure," Mbengue said. "We need to train more teachers, particularly female if we want to attract girls to school. We need to have midwives if we have to tackle the incredible high maternal 6 mortality of Afghanistan. We need to do all this. This is not the time to forget the children of Afghanistan, the women of Afghanistan."
UNICEF says Afghanistan has many serious problems to address. It says the country is in a fragile state and needs the continued support and attention of the international community.
It says this is not the time for donor 7 countries to turn their backs on the children and on the women and men who are trying to create a better future for them.
- She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
- These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
- 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。
- The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
- The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。
- He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
- The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。
- The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
- The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。
- He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
- The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。