| | | Words
in the News |
|
INTRO | |
Ethiopia
accused the international community of not responding quickly enough
to calls for food supplies to head off famine. BBC correspondent Peter
Biles reported. |
|
IN
FULL | |
 | Listen
to the report in full |
 |  |
6th
April 2000
Aid to Ethiopia 'too slow' |
|
| NEWS
1 | | | Listen
to the first part of the report |
| | | The
director of the UN World Food Programme here, Judith Lewis, said it was an overstatement
to suggest that the West was dragging its feet, though she admitted
that there were difficulties in getting food aid to some of the worst affected
areas, such as the Ogaden region in the south-east, which borders Somalia. It's
an area characterized by insecurity. Local aid workers have already reported famine-related
deaths and cases of malnutrition. The UN is now considering the
possibility of starting airlifts to transport food aid to one of the main
centres, Goday. |
|
WORDS | |
overstatement:
a way of describing something that makes it seem more important or serious than
it really is
the West: refers here to the world's richer countries
dragging its feet: being deliberately slow in doing something or in making
a decision. (Judith Lewis feels that the West has not been slow although there
are problems.) famine-related
deaths: if two things are related, there is connection between them. Here,
people are dying as a result of lack of food
malnutrition: physical
weakness caused by not eating enough food of the right kind
airlifts:
here, an operation to carry food by airplane |
|
| NEWS
2 | | | Listen
to the second part of the report |
| | | Yesterday
the Ethiopian government expressed its frustration, saying that the international
response to its appeals for assistance had been far too slow. Only now,
four months after Ethiopia sounded the alarm, are large pledges
of aid being made by donors and it’ll be several more months at best before
much of that aid gets into the country and reaches those in need. |
| WORDS | |
frustration: a feeling
of anger or distress because you cannot do what you want to do
appeal:
an appeal here is an urgent request for help Only
now.....are: Putting
the verb are after Only now stresses the delay sounded
the alarm: warned
people of the danger of a famine
pledges: solemn
promises to do something donors:
organisations (or individuals) who give money or other help to those who need
it |
|
| | |
Read
about the background in BBC News Online |
|
|
