UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $199 MILLION TO MEET URGENT NEEDS STEMMING FROM CRISIS IN EAST TIMOR

Press Release
IHA/687

UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $199 MILLION TO MEET URGENT NEEDS STEMMING FROM CRISIS IN EAST TIMOR

GENEVA/NEW YORK, 27 October (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -– The United Nations today launched the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the East Timor Crisis, requesting $199 million to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of affected populations through June 2000.

During the two weeks of violence following the popular consultation in East Timor, more than 75 per cent of the population was displaced and 70 per cent of homes and public buildings destroyed. With the support of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET), humanitarian agencies have worked to meet the acute needs of the displaced. At present, some 40 humanitarian agencies are active in East Timor, and some 15 are in West Timor. To date, humanitarian daily rations have been airdropped in areas of East Timor, and food and shelter assistance provided to more than 64,000 people returning to Dili. In addition, 10 hospitals and health facilities were reopened and repairs made to the water supply system in Dili. More than 60 convoys of food and non-food aid were sent to displaced populations throughout East Timor, and mobile health clinics were set up in 20 locations in the eastern sector. Operations in the eastern sector were facilitated with the establishment of a United Nations regional operations base in Baucau in early October.

In West Timor, the United Nations remains committed to providing humanitarian assistance to the more than 250,000 displaced people in need by securing direct and unhindered access. Humanitarian agencies have been working to support the voluntary return of the East Timorese. This effort, which is currently ongoing, is expected to accelerate in the coming weeks. Plans are in place to meet the resulting requirements.

The present appeal has been formulated to cover emergency and transitional programmes for a nine-month period, to be carried out by the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the International Organization for Migration and non-governmental organizations. It contains 48 projects costed at $183 million for East Timor and 16 projects at $16 million for West Timor. An earlier preliminary assessment of priority needs had been prepared in September based on

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assumptions gained from aerial surveys and projections. During the past month, however, modifications have been made on the basis of more than 30 assessments carried out in East Timor.

The main aim of humanitarian agencies over the next nine months in East Timor is to assist populations through the emergency stage as quickly as possible, while laying the groundwork for full-scale reconstruction and development. Basic services will be provided while a new civil administration is established under the auspices of the United Nations Transitional Administration for East Timor (UNTAET). Humanitarian agencies aim to help populations re-establish themselves, undertake emergency repairs of public utilities, and reopen key institutions devoted to public welfare, including health facilities and schools. Humanitarian activities are expected to come under the umbrella of UNTAET once appropriate coordination structures are created. In the interim, humanitarian agencies will continue to operate under the OCHA coordination framework.

The principal goal of humanitarian agencies in West Timor is to work with the Government of Indonesia to meet the acute needs and ensure the protection of displaced people, help enable the displaced make a free and informed decision regarding their future, whether it be voluntary return or local settlement, and provide support for reintegration into their communities. In addition, humanitarian agencies will enhance the coping strategies of host communities in West Timor and support reconciliation.

The United Nations calls upon donors to contribute generously to this appeal.

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