DATE=9/21/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=EAST TIMOR AID (L)
NUMBER=2-254132
BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN
DATELINE=GENEVA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R,
says Indonesian authorities have promised to provide
security for United Nations aid workers and unlimited
access to everyone in East Timor who needs help. Lisa
Schlein in Geneva reports that the U-N High
Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, got these
assurances from the Indonesian President, B-J Habibi,
the army commander-in-chief, General Wiranto and other
top officials she met during her three day visit to
Indonesia.
TEXT: During her trip, High Commissioner Ogata also
made a brief visit to West Timor.
Reportedly, tens of thousands of East Timorese have
been forcibly displaced from East Timor to West Timor.
A U-N-H-C-R spokesman, Kris Janowski says Ms. Ogata is
the first senior international official to visit the
border town of Atuambo, which houses an estimated 100-
thousand East Timorese. He says her visit was very
tightly controlled by the Indonesian government. Even
so, he says Ms. Ogata got a first-hand impression from
the visit.
/// JANOWSKI ACT ///
She saw that the camps were overcrowded. There
was a lack of food, lack of medicine, lack of
water and so on and so forth. It is very urgent
for U-N-H-C-R to establish a presence in West
Timor. Not only for relief purposes. But, also
to look into the situation of East Timorese who
might have been taken to West Timor against
their will.
/// END ACT ///
Mr. Janowski says the United Nations has received many
reports of people being forced to leave East Timor.
He says the U-N refugee agency will lead a
humanitarian mission to West Timor on Wednesday to
draw up a plan of operation. He notes that sentiment
against the United Nations is running high in West
Timor and that it won't be easy to work there. He
says promises of cooperation from President Habibi and
other top officials will soon be tested on the ground.
Mr. Janowski says three U-N staff members went to the
East Timorese capital, Dili last Friday.
/// JANOWSKI ACT ///
They're now trying to find some warehousing
(i.e. ware house facilities), find whatever
stocks are left in Dili, try to find where
exactly the displaced people are. And, trying
to basically set up an operation.
/// END ACT ///
Other U-N aid agencies, notably, the World Food
Program and UNICEF, the United Nations children's
fund, also are re-opening their offices in Dili. The
agencies are bringing in desperately needed food
supplies from Australia. The agencies do NOT expect
aid activities to be in full operation until the
deployment of the multi-national force in East Timor
is complete. (Signed)
NEB/LS/GE/LTD/JP
21-Sep-1999 10:53 AM EDT (21-Sep-1999 1453 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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