20 September 1999
Fact Sheet: USAID on Relief Effort in E. Timor Sept. 20
(Violence displaces at least 300,000) (1640) The U.S. Agency for International Development released a fact sheet September 20 detailing the public and private relief effort getting underway in East Timor. Following is the text of the fact sheet: (begin text) U.S. Agency for International Development Indonesia - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet September 20, 1999 U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR) OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) Background In early September, pro-integrationist militias in East Timor conducted a week-long rampage in several cities and towns following a UN-supported vote for independence from Indonesia. Hundreds of civilians were killed and more than 300,000 were displaced from their homes in the violence that ensued. The militias forcibly moved civilians out of East Timor into West Timor while thousands fled into the surrounding hills and jungles of East Timor. Homes and private assets on the island, including UN and non-government organization (NGO) offices, were plundered or burned by militia forces during their rampage. Food stocks were also looted or burned. In West Timor, water and sanitation are key concerns in camps where displaced populations have gathered. According to Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF)/Holland, cases of measles have been reported in three internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Kupang. Insecurity is also a serious concern in camps in West Timor following increased militia presence. Tensions remain particularly high in Atambua, with increasing refugee flows. The most immediate needs of IDPs in East Timor -- many of whom are dispersed in scattered settlements -- are supplemental food, blankets, cooking utensils, and shelter. Logistics and road access remain difficult in East Timor due to insecurity and lack of vehicles and staff in key areas. Humanitarian access to both areas has also been restricted by anti-western and anti-UN sentiments in Indonesia. USAID/OFDA has not received any reports of starvation or critical malnutrition in Timor. Numbers Affected As of September 16, the Government of Indonesia's (GOI) Task Force for Coordination and Implementation of Disaster Relief has registered 164,817 IDPs in camps and shelters throughout West Timor and nearby islands. This includes 90,218 in Belu, 15,617 in Timor Tengah Utara, 2,055 in Timor Tengah Selatan, 22,217 in Kupang municipality, 31,846 in Kupang's Noelbaki camp, 2,185 in Alor, and 95 in East Flores. (These numbers only refer to registered refugees; the actual numbers may in fact be much larger.) Latest figures on IDPs in East Timor are not available but are estimated at 200,000 or more. USG Assistance On May 7, 1999, the US Ambassador to Indonesia Stapleton Roy issued a disaster declaration in Indonesia in response to the complex emergency situation, including East Timor. Based on the assessment findings of USAID/OFDA assessment team based in Jakarta, a total of 300,000 U.S. military-donated humanitarian daily rations (HDRs) were dispatched to Darwin, Australia, via USAID-funded commercial aircraft. The first batch of 100,000 units arrived in East Timor on September 18; the second 100,000 units on September 20, and the third and final 100,000 will arrive on September 21. Current reports indicate that on September 18, World Food Program (WFP) airdropped 12,000 HDRs to areas known to have large IDP concentration. In addition, USAID/OFDA has dispatched relief items requested in phase two of a three-phase donor response. (Note: Phase one is the airdrop of HDRs and other emergency food items, phase two is the delivery of commodities via helicopter once peacekeepers have secured airways, and phase three is the delivery of commodities and services via road by relief organizations to meet the longer term needs of refugees.) The USAID/OFDA items include: 500 rolls plastic sheeting; 20,000 blankets; and 5,200 collapsible 5-gallon water containers. These commodities are expected to arrive in Darwin on September 22 and will be distributed by helicopter by the UN to IDPs in both East and West Timor. In support of phase three, the USAID/OFDA assessment team in Jakarta and USAID Mission are considering proposals from NGO partners who have been working in East Timor to assist with the delivery of food, shelter, medical assistance, water, sanitation, and seeds and tools to IDPs. An ongoing USAID/OFDA grant to a local NGO is supporting water/sanitation activities to assist IDPs along the West Timor border. The USAID/Jakarta mission is also supporting water projects in four sites, one of which will be completed this week. Additionally, the USG will provide 200 troops to assist the UN-authorized International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) in intelligence gathering, communications, logistics, and airlift capability. A small contingent of US Marines already is providing logistical assistance in Darwin. The first INTERFET contingent arrived in Dili on September 20 and met with GOI army forces (TNI). Press reports indicate Dili appeared calm, although militias reportedly maintain a strong presence in parts of the city. A total of about 7,500 troops, mostly from Australia, are expected to arrive to restore peace and security and to assist with humanitarian relief efforts. The UN Security Council voted unanimously to send a peacekeeping force to East Timor on September 15. It is estimated that the GOI approximately has 15,000 troops in East Timor. About 11,000 Indonesian police are expected to remain in the island. A USG team headed by State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) Assistant Secretary Julia Taft is currently visiting Indonesia and will meet with USG officials, international organizations, and donors, as well as representative from the GOI and CNRT, the pro-independence forces. The team, accompanied by the USAID/OFDA assessment team, expects to travel to Dili as part of a multi-lateral humanitarian assessment mission. UN officials and donor representatives from the EU, Japan, Korea, and Thailand are expected to participate in the mission. The mission will push the GOI on the need for humanitarian access and protection in Timor and mobilize donor support. Relief Efforts On September 17, WFP and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) organized airdrops in three locations using Australian military aircraft. The airdrops delivered 40 tons of rice in Ermera district, Waimore, and Manatuto (enough to feed 100,000 people for one day.) The airdrops were conducted from Darwin, Australia, following approval from the GOI. WFP's Emergency Division has approved a Special Operations program for the East Timor crisis to finance a joint logistics cell. The cell will receive, store and transport humanitarian aid. The WFP Special Operations will also coordinate the management of seaports, air transport, and vehicle fleet. WFP has also approved an emergency operation plan (EMOP) to provide emergency food rations for a two-month period for 150,000 IDPs within East Timor. WFP expects to work with implementing partners in distributing this food. UNOCHA is coordinating the multi-donor relief effort and expects to issue a flash appeal in the near future. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has established a presence in West Timor to assist affected East Timorese. Several NGOs, including CARE and World Vision, are distributing relief items in camps in West Timor. These agencies are working with UN agencies to pre-position relief personnel and commodities for distribution in East Timor once security improves. MSF/Holland recently assessed the health and water/situation in camps in Kupang and reported that 300 of 3,000 children have been vaccinated in these camps, which are hosting 10,000 East Timorese. Drugs supplies are low and sanitation remains inadequate in the camps, although water supply has improved. Aid agencies have managed to truck in 10 tons of food to Dare, where 50,000 IDPs remain. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has delivered five tons of non-food assistance to Dare and is preparing an expanded emergency inter-agency relief appeal to respond to immediate needs. An ICRC water/sanitation specialist has arrived in Atambua. ICRC/Geneva also plans to distribute 32,000 US-provided HDRs in East Timor. These rations are the remainder of a previous donation for use in Kosovo. According to WFP, the GOI will provide 30 trucks for humanitarian organizations and a local NGO has identified 24 trucks in West Timor. The GOI has reportedly erected tents for 2,300 IDPs at Tunukiik and is building shelter sites near Atamuba. The GOI will also donate 1,300 MT of rice to WFP from warehouses in Dili. WFP expects to ship 6,400 MT of rice provided by the GOI in the next ten days and has donated 100 MT of rice to assist 10,000 people in Atambua. UNICEF has approved a one-year $4.9 million plan for East and West Timor. The plan includes immediate longer-term strategies for assistance. UNICEF has established an office in Darwin and is airlifting baby food and blankets via Darwin. UNICEF also plans to distribute oral re-hydration salts and is purchasing 50 2,000-litre water tanks locally. Financial Support To date, USAID/OFDA has provided approximately $1.4 million towards the East Timor crisis, primarily for transportation and logistics support. USAID/OFDA has provided an additional $620,000 for plastic sheeting, water containers, and blankets for phase two of the donor response. This amount will cover transport and logistics costs. USAID/OFDA Assistance $1,400,000 Public Donation Information --Readers interested in providing specific technical relief services or commodities should contact Volunteers in Technical Assistance's (VITA) Disaster Information Center for information and guidelines (703) 276-1914. --In the interest of effective coordination of such public response, we encourage concerned citizens to provide monetary donations to appropriate organizations. USAID encourages the public to contact directly those private voluntary organizations (PVOs) currently working in the region to provide monetary donations. A list of those PVOs may be obtained from the USAID website at www.info.usaid.gov. The list is composed of PVOs that are registered with USAID and/or listed by InterAction, a coalition of voluntary humanitarian and development organizations that work overseas; InterAction can be contacted at 1-202-667-8227 x106, or via the Internet at www.interaction.org. (end text)
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