U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR) OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) INDONESIA - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet # 4, FY1999 September 23, 1999
Background Following an overwhelming UN-supported vote for independence from Indonesia on August 30, pro-integrationist militias in East Timor rampaged and plundered through several cities and towns. Hundreds of civilians were killed and more than 350,000 East Timorese were displaced from their homes, including 200,000 IDPs who fled to the surrounding hills and jungles of East Timor. There are an estimated 165,000 IDPs in camps in West Timor, many of whom were forcibly moved by pro- integrationist militias. The militias also plundered and burned homes and private assets on the island, including UN and NGO offices and equipment, during their rampage. Most UN personnel were evacuated on September 10 due to military activity. The most immediate material needs of IDPs in East Timor -- many of whom are dispersed in scattered settlements -- are supplemental food, blankets, cooking utensils, and shelter. According to ICRC reports, there are substantial medical and health needs in Dare, located near Dili, the provincial capital. Diarrhea, respiratory infections, and malaria are the main health concerns. Insecurity and logistical constraints have limited road access in East Timor. Currently, water and sanitation are key concerns in camps in West Timor. Insecurity is also a concern in camps, due to increased militia presence. Tensions remain particularly high in and around the border town of Atambua. The security situation in East Timor also remains tenuous. Humanitarian access to East and West Timor has also been restricted by strong anti-foreign and anti-UN sentiments in Indonesia. Numbers Affected As of September 22, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has registered about 205,000 IDPs in 31 camps and shelters throughout West Timor and nearby islands. (UN and NGO estimates range between 150,000 and 200,000.) According to the GOI, the majority of IDPs are located in Kupang, Belu, and Timor Tengah Utara. There are an estimated 200,000 IDPs in East Timor, and the food supply for an additional 300,000 East Timorese has been significantly disrupted by militia activity, including burning and looting of food warehouses. Up to 500,000 individuals could require bulk food assistance in East Timor. USG Assistance On May 7, 1999, the US Ambassador to Indonesia Stapleton Roy issued a disaster declaration in response to the complex emergency affecting several regions in Indonesia, including East Timor. Based on recommendations of a USAID/OFDA assessment team in early September, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) donated a total of 300,000 humanitarian daily rations, or HDRs to meet immediate needs of East Timorese. The rations were dispatched to Darwin, Australia, via USAID/OFDA-funded commercial aircraft. The first batch of 100,000 units arrived in East Timor on September 18, and the second 100,000 units arrived on September 20. The third and final 100,000 units arrived on September 21. On September 18, the UN World Food Program (WFP) airdropped 12,000 HDRs in Ermera and Bobonaro districts, East Timor. On September 22, an additional 20,000 HDRs were airdropped, as well as WFP high protein biscuits, for 30,000 - 35,000 IDPs in Umari, Luro, and Baguia. These locations are known to have large IDP concentrations. To date, USAID/OFDA has dispatched 500 rolls plastic sheeting, 20,000 blankets, and 5,200 collapsible 5-gallon water containers to meet immediate needs in East Timor. These commodities arrived in Darwin on September 22 and will be distributed by helicopter by the UN to IDPs in both East and West Timor. The USAID/OFDA items were requested in phase two of a three-phase donor response and will benefit about 25,000 people. (Phase one is the airdrop of HDRs and other emergency food rations, 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.) In support of phase three, the USAID/OFDA assessment team and USAID/Jakarta Mission are considering proposals from NGO partners to assist with the delivery of food, shelter, medical assistance, water, sanitation, and seeds and tools to IDPs. A USAID/OFDA grant to an Indonesian NGO is supporting water/sanitation activities to assist IDPs along the West Timor border, including ongoing water projects in four sites. Water is a key problem in Timor, as this is the height of the dry season. USAID/Office of Food for Peace (FFP) has authorized the provision of 4,000 MT of bagged corn and 5,900 MT of bagged rice, valued at $4.4 million, to WFP for the refugees and IDPs affected by the fighting in East Timor. These commodities are sufficient to provide the basic grain (carbohydrate) component needed to feed 360,000 people for 60 days. USAID/FFP is also currently supporting ongoing programs in Indonesia through a number of PVOs and through WFP. Current food stocks of Title II partners in Indonesia are estimated at more than 8,000 MT, including 1,200-1,500 MT in East and West Timor. USAID/FFP staff in Jakarta are investigating the possibility of re-directing PVO food commodities to Timor from existing Indonesia programs. Title II commodities in cooperating sponsor pipelines amount to more than 29,000 MT. To date, the USAID/OFDA assessment team in Jakarta has not received any reports of starvation or critical malnutrition in Timor. (On September 23, the media reported 20 people have died from starvation in the hills outside Dili. USAID/OFDA staff in Jakarta can not confirm this report.) According to the assessment team, food stocks in West Timor are sufficient to meet current needs, but access to food may worsen without external assistance and/or if militia activity persists. The planting season is expected to begin in six weeks, highlighting the need for rapid resettlement of IDPs. However, many IDPs in East Timor are reluctant to return to their homes until GOI military leave the territory. WFP currently has about 16,000 MT of food aid available and/or in the pipeline for East Timor, which can feed 500,000 people for about 2.5 months. Total GOI stocks of rice in the region are estimated at 29,000 MT, including 16,500 MT in Kupang, the provincial capital. The USAID/OFDA team in Jakarta reports that 30 MT of GOI maize seeds are also intact in Dili and may be available to humanitarian organizations during the recovery phase. Nevertheless, food access and availability is a growing problem in East Timor, particularly for IDPs in isolated locations. Continued displacement may disrupt the farming cycle and reduce planting, which could cause food shortages in the next 18 months, the USAID/OFDA team reports. There are also concerns about micro-nutrient and protein deficiencies resulting from an extended bulk grain (rice) diet, especially in children. (Recent press reports suggest hungry residents looted food from GOI warehouses on September 22. INTERFET forces quickly intervened and prevented excessive looting.) USAID is considering rapid delivery of corn- or wheat- and soya-blended foods for vulnerable populations. Food security activities, such as seeds and tools and community gardening, are also under consideration to reduce the impact of displacement on the cropping cycle. Moreover, the USG is assisting the UN-authorized International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) in intelligence gathering, communications, logistics, and airlift capability. A small contingent of US Marines is also providing logistical assistance in Darwin, the base of relief operations in East Timor. An INTERFET contingent of about 2,000 soldiers from the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada, France, and Italy have arrived in Dili so far. A total of about 7,500 troops, mostly from Australia, are expected to arrive eventually to restore peace and security and to assist with humanitarian relief efforts. INTERFET is currently responsible for clearing transport into East Timor. The UN Security Council voted unanimously to send a peacekeeping force to East Timor on September 15. A high-level USG delegation headed by State Department Assistant Secretary Julia Taft, who heads the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), is currently visiting Indonesia and is meeting with USG officials, international organizations, and donors, as well as representatives from the GOI and CNRT, the pro-independence forces. On September 22, the delegation, accompanied by a member of the USAID/OFDA assessment team, traveled to Dili as part of a four-day multi- lateral humanitarian assessment mission. Donor representatives from Australia, the EU, Japan, Korea, and Thailand are participating in the mission, along with 18 representatives of international aid groups. The mission seeks to push the GOI on the need for humanitarian access and protection in Timor and to mobilize donor support. USAID and PRM are also advocating the opening of a humanitarian logistics corridor between East and West Timor to allow secure and free movement of food and other humanitarian assistance commodities. Relief Efforts Food: To date, the UN has airdropped 50 tons of rice and blankets in East Timor, as well as 32,000 HDRs provided by the DOD. On September 22, WFP, lead agency in the food/logistics sector, resumed airdrops after a three-day delay using one WFP plane and two military aircraft (one Australian and one French.) 20,000 DOD-donated HDRs were airdropped in three locations for 30-35,000 IDPs. (A WFP plane was unable to airdrop six tons of high protein biscuits on September 22 using a new "snowdrop" technique due to incorrect coordinates.) A third WFP plane also moved office equipment to Dili on September 22. On September 17, WFP initiated airdrops in three locations using two Australian high capacity C-130 aircraft. The airdrops delivered 40 tons of rice in the districts of Ermera, Malaputu, and Malapa (enough to feed 100,000 people for one day). Airdrops of rice and blankets continued on September 18 but were delayed until September 22 by the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces. Three airdrops of HDRs are planned for September 23 using three military planes. WFP, the lead agency for logistics and communications in East Timor, is organizing airdrops from Darwin, Australia, following approval from the GOI. WFP reportedly plans to continue airdrops from Darwin for the next twenty days. WFP reports the GOI has waived the requirement to inspect airdrops from Darwin at the airport in Dili during relief flights. WFP will soon establish a daily air shuttle to transport up to 19 people between Darwin and Dili, with priority for humanitarian relief organizations. WFP also plans to launch a food shuttle between Darwin and Dili. The cargo vessel, which is capable of ferrying 2,600 MT, is expected to arrive in Darwin from Brunei on September 25. The Australian INTERFET contingent has provided high-speed boats capable of transporting up to three tons of cargo each, two barges, and one aircraft to support WFP logistics. The Australian government has also contributed over $2 million for logistical and transport for delivery of humanitarian supplies. In addition, WFP reportedly plans to ship, through the GOI, 6,300 MT of rice to Dili for overland distribution by implementing partners. About 3,500 MT of rice has also been released from existing GOI stocks. These stocks will reportedly be distributed through the GOI and other implementing partners. According to WFP, the GOI will provide 30 trucks for humanitarian organizations and a local association has identified 24 trucks in West Timor. The GOI is reportedly erecting tents for 2,300 IDPs at Tunukiik and is building shelter sites near Atamuba. Recently, the local government in West Timor prepared a resettlement plan for 20,000 IDP families within the province. Resettlement is planned in Sulamu and Kupang districts, as well as five locations in Belu district. On September 22, WFP launched an appeal for $8 million dollars in logistical assistance for its operations in East Timor over a six-month period. WFP's Emergency Division has approved a Special Operations program to finance a joint logistics cell for the East Timor crisis. The cell will receive, store, and transport humanitarian aid. The WFP Special Operations will also coordinate the management of seaports, air transport, and vehicle fleets. WFP has also approved an emergency operation plan (EMOP) to provide emergency food rations to 150,000 IDPs within East Timor for a two-month period. ICRC recently delivered a shipment of food for 100,000 people in Dili. Humanitarian agencies are establishing logistics routes into and out of East Timor for relief personnel and supplies and have trucked in 10 tons of food to Dare, where about 30,000 IDPs have gathered. ICRC has delivered an additional 5 tons of non- food assistance to Dare. In addition, ICRC/Geneva plans to distribute 32,000 USG-donated HDRs in East Timor. These rations are the remainder of a previous donation for use in Kosovo. ICRC is also preparing an expanded emergency inter- agency relief appeal to respond to immediate needs. In addition to ICRC, World Vision (WVI), Action contre la Faim (ACF), and CARE currently have international staff working in Dili and are establishing field offices to implement phase two relief operations. Agencies also continue to pre-position relief personnel and commodities for distribution in East Timor once security improves. CARE is coordinating agricultural assistance activities in East Timor. Health: UNICEF and Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) are jointly coordinating health sector activities in East Timor, while OXFAM coordinates water/sanitation activities. With the arrival of the INTERFET, ICRC is deploying a field hospital from Norway. ICRC recently delivered medical supplies to the hospital in Dili. A full surgical team from ICRC is supporting the hospital and Medecins du Monde (MDM) also expects to implement programs in the hospital. MSF/Holland is digging 120 latrines in an IDP camp in Kupang. Most IDPs in West Timor appear to have access to water, but the health and water/sanitation situation remains difficult to assess, MSF reports. There are mild to moderately malnourished IDPs but no cases of severe malnutrition have been observed. Cases of measles have been reported in three IDP camps in Kupang. MSF is now working in 13 IDP sites in Kupang, each hosting about 200 IDPs, and has deployed three water engineers and one doctor to West Timor. An ICRC water/sanitation specialist recently arrived in Atambua. ACF and International Medical Corps (IMC) also have medical personnel in Darwin and expect to implement emergency health and water/sanitation activities in East Timor soon. According to IMC, drug supplies and medical equipment remain dangerously low in East Timor. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has secured an office in Darwin and will establish a database for control of drugs and other medical supplies leaving for Dili. MSF will assist in establishing the database. Relief agencies in the health sector are now suggesting that medical supplies are a higher priority than food in East Timor and are pushing INTERFET and the UN for immediate access. UNICEF has approved a one-year $4.9 million plan for East and West Timor. The plan includes immediate and longer-term strategies for assistance. UNICEF is distributing baby food in West Timor and recently purchased non-food items such as jerry cans, water tanks, and family kits. (According to news reports, armed militias blocked a UNICEF truck carrying 1.5 tons of baby food from West Timor from entering Dare.) A shipment of 4,000 jerry cans, 1,000 water jugs, 20 water bladders, and 120 water tanks is expected to arrive soon. UNICEF will distribute these items in West Timor. UNICEF has re-opened an office in Atambua and has 11 international staff in Kupang. Shelter/Protection: UNHCR, lead agency for shelter/protection activities in East Timor, has received GOI permission to establish an office in Dili as well as offices in Kupang and Atambua. UNHCR will share the Kupang office with OCHA to serve as the coordination site for UN operations in West Timor. In support of planned relief operations, UNHCR recently transported 100 MT of relief items (including blankets and plastic sheeting) to Darwin and expects another 100 tons of relief items to arrive in the next few days, with assistance from WFP. UNHCR plans to assist 100,000 affected East Timorese, as well as an additional 100,000 beneficiaries in West Timor. UNHCR has pre-positioned relief supplies in Darwin and expects to position a plane in Surabaya, Java Island, to ferry passengers between Jakarta and West/East Timor and to manage UNHCR logistics. The International Organization for Migration recently submitted an appeal for $11.23 million in support of relief efforts in East Timor. INTERFET and many aid agencies working in Indonesia remain concerned about access, protection, and security throughout Indonesia. On September 22, militia forces in Dili killed a Dutch journalist working for the London Financial Times. Two western journalists were ambushed by a militia gang while driving in central East Timor also on September 22. The journalists were rescued by INTERFET forces after spending the night in hiding. INTERFET troops are investigating both incidents. Press reports suggest that several Australian institutions and buildings in Jakarta were recently attacked by pro-integrationist forces. A UN special session will convene September 23 in Geneva to establish an international inquiry on atrocities in East Timor. Several NGOs including Human Rights Watch support this session. Coordination: The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is coordinating humanitarian relief efforts from Darwin and is assisting with WFP-organized airdrops. UN OCHA expects to issue a consolidated inter-agency appeal in late October, following a needs assessment mission. UN OCHA expects to establish a headquarters office in Dili by September 24. According to the UN Assistance Mission to East Timor (UNAMET), the main UN compound in Dili was looted but not destroyed after the evacuation. At present, the UN has 17 staff members in Dili, along with 16 NGO and ICRC workers. Financial Support To date, USAID/OFDA has provided approximately $1.4 million, primarily for transport and logistical support, in response to the East Timor crisis. USAID/OFDA provided an additional $620,000 for plastic sheeting, water containers, and blankets as part of phase two of the donor response. This assistance included transport and logistical costs. In addition, USAID/FFP has provided to date $4.4 million for the provision of 9,900 MT of food commodities to WFP for refugees and IDPs affected by the fighting in East Timor. USAID/OFDA ASSISTANCE $2,020,000 USAID/FFP $4,400,000 TOTAL USAID ASSISTANCE $6,420,000 Public Donation Information - In the interest of effective coordination of public response to disasters, 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. 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. distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -