1.   The situation was worsened by the ineptitude and intransigence of the oil companies.

2.   Wars and civil disturbances not only disrupted food aid and medical aid to needy areas, but also created refugee problems which worsened the situation.

3.   And new price hikes on basics from tortillas to electricity may worsen the situation.

4.   And the overall impact would be less severe than that of a Chinese devaluation of its currency, the yuan, which would worsen the situation throughout Southeast Asia.

5.   Any of these scenarios will only worsen this situation.

6.   But sociologists and historians, in Chile and Argentina as well as Brazil and Mexico, insist that increasing the repression would only worsen the situation.

7.   But the drought of the last two months, American government and relief officials said, has significantly worsened the situation.

8.   Depending on the snow pack and reservoir levels, hydroelectric plants may not be able to run at full bore, which would also worsen the situation.

9.   For Blanton, the situation was worsened by the fact that there was no plane to climb onto, no ride halfway across a country to ease the pain.

10.   Frazier said some harsh things then about Ali that only worsened the situation.