U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR) OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) INDONESIA - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet # 6, FY1999 September 27, 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. Several homes and private assets on the island, including UN and NGO offices and equipment, were destroyed. - 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. 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.) According to the GOI, the majority of IDPs are located in Kupang, Atambua, and Belu. - The UN World Food Program (WFP) estimates that 740,000 persons out of a total population of 890,000 will require food aid in the next six months in East Timor. Of this number, 590,000 people (490,000 IDPs and 100,000 expected returnees) will require full rations, while an additional 150,000 IDPs will require half rations. - In addition, health and water/sanitation are key concerns for IDPs in East and West Timor. In West Timor, there are mild to moderately malnourished IDPs but no cases of severe malnutrition have been observed. Medical supplies are urgently needed in most IDP sites. - On September 27, the GOI handed over security of East Timor to the UN-authorized International Force for East Timor (INTERFET). To date, about 3,000 out of a total contingent of 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 is slowly improving as INTERFET troops gain more control and access. Many IDPs subsequently have come out of hiding and humanitarian access has improved. However, the security situation remains tense in West Timor. Tensions remain particularly high in Belu district, near the East Timorese border. USG Assistance - To date, the US government (USG) has provided more than $9 million in response to the crisis in East Timor. USG assistance has focused on emergency food aid, as well as transportation of food and non-food items to needy IDPs. - 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, valued at $4.25 per unit, were dispatched to Darwin, Australia, via USAID/OFDA-funded commercial aircraft. - To date, USAID/OFDA has dispatched 500 rolls of plastic sheeting, 20,000 blankets, and 5,200 collapsible 5-gallon water containers. These items will benefit about 25,000 people. - 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 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 $4.9 million, to WFP for 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 two months. - In addition, USAID/FFP is currently supporting ongoing programs in Indonesia through 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. - 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. CARE is coordinating agricultural assistance activities in East Timor. - Moreover, the USG is assisting INTERFET in intelligence gathering, communications, and airlift capability. US Military personnel will assist INTERFET in operating a Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) in Dili. The CMOC will coordinate relief efforts and requests for security and logistical assistance. Relief/Coordination Efforts Food and Logistics - To date, WFP has airdropped 172,000 HDRs provided by DOD, in conjunction with the Australian defense force. WFP and INTERFET also have airdropped 120,000 high protein biscuits, as well as about 50 MT of GOI/WFP relief commodities. WFP airdrops of relief items have been hampered by inadequate aircraft support. - Currently, WFP is procuring about 2,300 MT of food commodities in the region for arrival in Dili in mid October. In addition, WFP will supplement current food stocks in East Timor with a shipment of 6,000 MT of GOI rice in Surabaya, Java Island. WFP also has requested the Australian government to ship 100 MT of emergency reserve rice to Dili. WFP has available a total of 16,000 MT of food for the East Timor crisis, which can feed about 500,000 people for about 2.5 months. Total GOI stocks of rice in Dili are estimated at 6,000 MT. - On September 25, an Australian-funded barge carrying 100 MT relief supplies and vehicles arrived in Dili. The commodities, the first to arrive by ship, will support relief efforts in Dili. The Australian government recently leased an airplane to make two runs per day between Darwin and Dili to transport relief personnel and supplies. - WFP has established an air shuttle service from Surabaya to Kupang and Dili and plans to begin operating a cargo vessel between Darwin and Dili on September 28. UNICEF is operating a shuttle between Darwin and Dili for transport of UNICEF personnel and relief supplies. - Aid agencies have begun securing warehouse space in Dili. Agencies also continue to pre-position relief items in Darwin. WVI recently distributed about 7 MT of rice in Dare, where an estimated 37,000 IDPs have gathered. WVI currently has four expatriate staff based in Dili and working in Dare. - On September 26, about 66,000 bags of coffee were reportedly looted from a warehouse in Dili by departing GOI forces. The coffee belonged to a farm cooperative involving 17,000 farm families. - The unstable security situation has hampered WFP food distributions in West Timor. WFP is working with Poskos (a consortium of local NGOs) to distribute food to IDPs in the province. Health and Water/Sanitation - The UN World Health Organization (WHO) currently has a staff of five in Darwin and will deploy personnel to Dili as soon as security conditions allow. In cooperation with MSF, WHO is establishing a database for control of medical supplies leaving for Dili. - The GOI has launched a vaccination program for IDPs to diminish the risk of an infectious disease outbreak, given poor sanitary conditions in shelter sites. The GOI Ministry of Health (MOH) plans to deploy 25 doctors to Atambua to assist in meeting health needs. The MOH has already dispatched 15 ambulances to Atambua to be used as mobile health centers. Protection/Security/Shelter - UNHCR plans to establish an office in Dili as well as offices in Kupang and Atambua to address protection of IDPs and coordination of relief assistance. UNHCR plans to assist 100,000 affected East Timorese, as well as an additional 100,000 beneficiaries in West Timor. - 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 has issued a consolidated inter-agency appeal for $141 million until the end of February. - On September 23, UN OCHA conducted two aerial assessments over East Timor, with logistical support from INTERFET. The flight over the western region revealed damage to approximately 60-70% of houses. Most of the damage was caused by fire. Similarly, most areas in the central, southern, and eastern regions (with the exception of Vikeke and Baucau) were severely damaged by fire. Small villages suffered the most damage. - UNOCHA and INTERFET are discussing the placement of a humanitarian aid liaison at INTERFET headquarters to further assist with coordination. Financial Support - To date, USAID/OFDA has provided more than $3 million to respond to the East Timor crisis. This assistance includes $2 million to support the transport of HDRs, blankets, plastic sheeting, and water containers. USAID/OFDA is also contributing $1million to the WFP in response to a special operations appeal for the East Timor crisis. This assistance will support logistics and aircraft operations. - In addition, USAID/Office of Food for Peace (FFP) has provided $4.9 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/FFP also anticipates a substantial contribution to the six-month WFP Emergency Operation in response to the East Timor crisis. The emergency operation is currently in the planning stage. - The DOD donated 300,000 HDRs to meet immediate food needs in East Timor. The value of the DOD donation is estimated at $1,275,000. - USAID/OFDA ASSISTANCE $3,020,000 - USAID/FFP $4,900,000 - US Department of Defense $1,275,000 - TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE $9,195,000 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Turkey Earthquake: http://www.vita.org/turkey.htm