CHURCH WORLD SERVICE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE OFFICE CWS EMERGENCY APPEAL: EAST TIMOR VIOLENCE EMERGENCY ACCOUNT #976505 for $1 million SEPTEMBER 15, 1999
SUMMARY: Church World Service (CWS), the relief and development agency of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., is seeking $1 million from its member denominations and the public for support of efforts to assist refugees from East Timor who have fled in the wake of recent violence. SITUATION: The CWS response is to assist East Timorese who have been forcibly removed by pro-Indonesian militias to West Timor as a way to reverse the results of balloting last month in which nearly 80 percent of East Timorese voters supported independence. Today, the United Nations Security Council authorized a 7,000-member multinational force to restore peace in East Timor. Indonesia refuses to withdraw its troops from East Timor. Estimates of the number of people who have sought refuge in West Timor has varied between 50,000 and up to 100,000, though the Church World Service staff in Indonesia reports that perhaps as many as 200,000 may have sought refugee in West Timor. The violence has hit home in a particular way for the international ecumenical community. The East Timor Human Rights Center (ETHRC) has confirmed that Rev. Francisco de Vasconcelos Ximenes, of the Christian Church in East Timor died Saturday Sept. 11, a day after being shot by militia members in the company of Indonesian police on the road to Baucau. Rev. de Vasconcelos Ximenes had guided an NCC delegation to East Timor more than two years ago. He had been sheltering approximately 100 refugees in Hosana Church, Dili. When martial law was imposed, a truckload of police came to the church and told them to go to the police station. Fearing for their safety if they did go, Rev. Ximenes, other church workers and the refugees decided to leave the church and instead traveled out of Dili. In concern for the safety of the women and children, the men separated from them, as it was the men who were being targeted. ETHRC fears for the refugees who were with Rev. Ximenes, as not all were able to move to safer areas. CWS RESPONSE: While international relief agencies are currently unable to work in East Timor, CWS staff in Indonesia, working with the Church of Kupang, a new CWS partner, is currently carrying out an assessment of the situation in West Timor, working in conjunction with Catholic Relief Services. Based on initial assessments, CWS will be providing tents, blankets, food and bedding for some 3,000 families (or 9,000 people). CWS may also provide hygiene and health kits as needed. The estimated budget for this appeal is $1,021,440, with the following breakdown: $448,000 for tents (for 3,000 families) $360,000 for food packages (for 3,000 families for two months) $45,000 for blankets (for 9,000 people; three blankets per family) $9,000 for bedding (for 9,000 people, three blankets per family) $109,440 for operations costs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $1,021,440 (TOTAL) IMMEDIATE NEEDS: This appeal is for initial efforts to assist refugees in the current emergency stage of this crisis. The appeal may be expanded later as recovery and rehabilitation efforts become clearer. OTHER RESPONSES: CWS is also prepared to support other efforts as part of work by the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network, particularly the work of local partner Gereja Masehi Injili di Timor (GMIT), the West Timor Synod, a reform church. Finally, CWS and the National Council of Churches of Christ have initiated advocacy on the crisis in East Timor, given the long support of the East Timor churches by the NCCC and U.S. churches. The NCCC has called the UN to maintain a presence in East Timor as a deterrent to further killings, torture and rampage; and to continue to monitor the human rights situation. It has also urged the Clinton administration to support the UN-sponsored peacekeeping force for East Timor. Call the CWS HOTLINE for updates: (800) 297-1516, ext. 111. For further information about disasters to which Church World Service is responding, contact CWS Emergency Response. Telephone: (212) 870-3151 After-hours emergency pager: (800) 780-0853 Internet Web Site: http://www.ncccusa.org/CWS/emre distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -