U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR) OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) INDONESIA - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet # 5, FY1999 September 24, 1999
Overview - 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 in the ensuing violence. - During their rampage, the militias plundered and burned homes and private assets on the island, including UN and NGO offices and equipment. Most UN personnel were evacuated on September 10 due to military activity. Humanitarian access to East and West Timor remain restricted by strong anti-foreign sentiments in Indonesia. - More than 350,000 East Timorese were displaced from their homes due to the violence, including 200,000 IDPs who fled to the surrounding hills and jungles of East Timor. The food supply for an additional 300,000 East Timorese was 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. - As of September 23, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has registered about 214,000 IDPs in 31 camps and shelters throughout West Timor and nearby islands. (UN and NGO estimates range between 150,000 and 200,000.) Of the GOI figure, 30,000 are children under five and 6,000 are pregnant women. According to the GOI, the majority of IDPs are located in Kupang, Belu, and Timor Tengah Utara. - 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 a recent UN assessment, there are substantial food and health needs in Dare (located near Dili, the provincial capital), as well as a need for provision of security. The assessment revealed that 37,000 displaced have sought shelter in Dare, including 18,000 children under the age of 10. 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, severely limiting humanitarian access. Aid agencies report they have been unable to assist 10,000 beneficiaries in Belu district due to insecurity. - On September 23, the GOI passed a law providing the military sweeping emergency powers for the next six months. Scores of students protested against the new legislation in the streets of Jakarta, clashing violently with police. At least four people were reportedly killed and 115 injured. - The GOI plans to hand over control of East Timor to the UN-authorized International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) on September 26. About 4,500 Indonesian troops will remain on the island for at least for one month to guard key assets and provide advice to the INTERFET. To date, about 3,800 out of an expected 7,500 INTERFET troops have arrived in East Timor to restore peace and security and to assist with humanitarian relief efforts. - The security situation in East Timor remains tenuous due to a series of shooting incidents involving pro-integration groups in Dili. On September 22, these groups shot and killed a Dutch journalist in Dili. Two western journalists were also ambushed by a militia gang while driving in central East Timor on September 22. The journalists were rescued by INTERFET forces after spending the night in hiding. INTERFET is investigating both incidents. USG Assistance - 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 in East Timor. The rations were dispatched to Darwin, Australia, via USAID/OFDA-funded commercial aircraft. - Since September 18, the UN World Food Program (WFP) has airdropped 140 tons of HDRs (approximately 50,000 units) in East Timor. On September 23, approximately 30 tons of HDRs were airdropped for 30,000 - 35,000 IDPs in locations are known to have large IDP concentrations. Additional airdrops of HDRs are scheduled for September 24. - To date, USAID/OFDA has dispatched 500 rolls plastic sheeting, 20,000 blankets, and 5,200 collapsible 5-gallon water containers. 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 will benefit about 25,000 people. - 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 corn and 5,900 MT of 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. - In addition, USAID/FFP is currently supporting ongoing programs in Indonesia through Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Catholic Relief Services, CARE, Church World Services, Mercy Corps International, World Vision International (WVI), and 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, mostly elderly, have died from starvation in Dare. USAID/OFDA staff in Jakarta can not confirm this report.) - According to the assessment team, food stocks in West and East Timor are sufficient to meet current needs, but access to food may worsen without external assistance and/or if militia activity persists. There are also concerns about micro- nutrient and protein deficiencies resulting from an extended bulk grain (rice) diet, especially in children. USAID is considering rapid delivery of corn- or wheat- and soya-blended foods for vulnerable populations. - Continued displacement may disrupt the farming cycle and reduce planting, causing food shortages in the next 18 months, the USAID/OFDA team reports. 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. The IDPs are protected by rough terrain and pro-independence militias. 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. CARE is coordinating agricultural assistance activities in East Timor. - Moreover, the USG is assisting 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. The DOD office in Jakarta has supplied navigational maps to WFP to assist with airdrops. - During a recent visit, a USG delegation headed by State Department Assistant Secretary Julia Taft, who heads the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), met with officials from the USG, international organizations, and donors in Indonesia, as well as representatives of the GOI and pro-independence movement. On September 22, the delegation, accompanied by a member of the USAID/OFDA assessment team, traveled to Dili as part of a multi-lateral humanitarian assessment mission. - The multi-lateral humanitarian mission in Indonesia urged the GOI on the need for humanitarian access and protection and worked 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/Coordination Efforts Food and Logistics - To date, the UN has airdropped 50 tons of rice and blankets in East Timor, as well as 140 tons of HDRs (approximately 50,000 units) provided by the DOD. WFP airdrops of relief items started on September 17 but were temporarily delayed by the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces. WFP is organizing airdrops from Darwin, Australia, following approval from the GOI. Airdrops are expected to continue for the next twenty days. - WFP has established 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 barge for transport of relief items between Darwin and Dili soon. The cargo vessel, which is capable of ferrying 2,600 MT, is expected to arrive in Darwin on September 25. - WFP currently has about 16,000 MT of food aid available and/or in the pipeline for East Timor, which can feed about 500,000 people for about 2.5 months. Total GOI stocks of rice in the region are estimated at 29,000 MT, including 6,300 MT of rice in East Timor (enough to feed 500,000 people for one month). The GOI plans to turn over all GOI food stocks and facilities in East Timor to WFP soon, WFP reports. The USAID/OFDA team in Jakarta reports that 30 MT of GOI maize seeds remain intact in Dili and may be available to humanitarian organizations during the recovery phase. - Insecurity has impeded humanitarian efforts to establish road access routes into and out of East Timor. On September 23, WFP reported that two trucks carrying relief supplies from West to East Timor were hijacked by GOI military forces near Dili. (USAID/OFDA can not confirm this report.) There were no injuries and the other two trucks in the four-truck convoy were reportedly able to deliver three MT of rice to assist needy IDPs in Dare. - WFP plans to procure 20 heavy-load trucks to support relief operations of humanitarian organizations in East Timor. This fleet will complement thirteen other trucks purchased by the Australian government for the same purpose. According to WFP, the GOI is expected to provide additional trucks to humanitarian organizations. The International Rescue Committee may organize a transport cell of light-load trucks in support of more localized relief distributions in East Timor. - In addition, WFP reportedly plans to ship 6,300 MT of rice of GOI provided 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. - WFP's Emergency Division has approved a Special Operations program to finance a joint logistics cell for the East Timor crisis. 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. In addition, ICRC plans to distribute 32,000 USG-donated HDRs in East Timor soon. (These rations are the remainder of a previous donation for use in Kosovo.) - Agencies continue to pre-position relief personnel and commodities for distribution in East Timor once security improves. ICRC is pre-positioning both food and non-food commodities in Dili, with the aim of distributing food to 50,000 persons and non-food assistance to 100,000 people. ICRC reportedly has airlifted 70 MT of food and medical aid into East Timor and expects 800 MT to arrive by ship on September 24. - In addition to ICRC, Action contre la Faim (ACF), WVI, and CARE currently have international staff working in Dili and are establishing field offices to implement relief operations. Health and Water/Sanitation - UNICEF and Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) are jointly coordinating health sector activities in East Timor, while OXFAM coordinates water/sanitation activities. - Relief agencies in the health sector report that medical supplies are urgently needed in East Timor and are pushing for immediate access. INTERFET is currently managing sea and air transportation to and from East Timor and has expressed concern about the unstable security situation in the island. - According to MSF, the health and water/sanitation status of most IDPs in West Timor remains difficult to assess. 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, the provincial capital. The water supply and health situation in camps has reportedly worsened in recent days. - ICRC recently delivered medical supplies to a 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. ICRC will deploy a field hospital to East Timor from Norway soon. - In addition to ICRC, MSF, ACF, and International Medical Corps (IMC) have deployed medical personnel in Darwin and expect to implement emergency health and water/sanitation activities in East Timor soon. - 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. - On September 23, UNICEF delivered 1.25 tons of baby food by road to Dare from West Timor. The delivery was temporarily blocked by armed militia forces in East Timor. The GOI military and INTERFET reportedly facilitated the delivery, which was the first cross-border transportation of relief supplies since the violence erupted. UNICEF is distributing baby food in West Timor and expects a shipment of jerry cans, water jugs, and water equipment to arrive soon. UNICEF has re-opened an office in Atambua and has 11 international staff in Kupang. UNICEF recently approved a one- year $4.9 million plan for East and West Timor. Protection/Security/Shelter: - As lead agency for protection/security/shelter activities in East Timor, 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 to assist refugees and IDPs in East Timor. - UNHCR and the GOI recently agreed to allow the UN safe access to refugee camps in West Timor. The GOI has also agreed to establish a temporary protection area near the port for East Timorese who do not wish to go to West Timor. INTERFET assisted in establishing a secure protection area, which is now housing several hundred civilians. UNHCR is working to identify a more permanent transit site. The UN is also urging the GOI to discontinue forcible relocations of East Timorese. A UN special session will convene September 23 in Geneva to establish an international inquiry on atrocities in East Timor. - The GOI is reportedly erecting tents for 2,300 IDPs at Tunukiik and 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. - 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 has received GOI permission to establish an office in Dili as well as offices in Kupang and Atambua. UNHCR will share the Kupang sub-office with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to serve as the coordination site for ongoing efforts by relief agencies. Coordination: - The UN 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 plans 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 reportedly has 17 staff members in Dili, along with 16 NGO and ICRC workers. Financial Support - To date, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $2 million to respond to the East Timor crisis. This assistance primarily supported the transport of various relief items including HDRs, blankets, plastic sheeting, and water containers. - In addition, USAID/Office of Food for Peace (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. - The DOD donated 300,000 HDRs at a cost of $4.95 per unit to meet immediate food needs in East Timor. The cost of the DOD donation is estimated at $1,485,000. USAID/OFDA ASSISTANCE $2,020,000 USAID/FFP $4,400,000 US Department of Defense $1,485,000 TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE $7,905,000 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -