U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT BUREAU FOR HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE (BHR) OFFICE OF U.S. FOREIGN DISASTER ASSISTANCE (OFDA) INDONESIA - Complex Emergency Fact Sheet # 8, FY1999 September 29, 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. Thousands 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 28, the Government of Indonesia (GOI) has registered 244,310 IDPs in 37 camps at eleven locations in West Timor and nearby islands. (UN and NGO estimates range between 150,000 and 220,000.) The GOI estimates 128,927 IDPs are located in and around the border town of Atambua. - According to the UN, the main IDP camps in Atambua, Kupang, Belu, and Timor Tengah Utara are overpopulated and lack food, medicine, and water supplies. Pro-integrationist militias control many of the camps. - The UN World Food Program (WFP) estimates that 740,000 East Timorese, out of a total population of 890,000, will require food aid in the next six months. 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. - On September 28, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) issued a special alert on the food situation in East Timor. The alert indicated that as many as 80% of the population in East Timor (720,000 people) will require food assistance for an indeterminate period. According to the alert, logistical and security constraints have impeded ongoing efforts to assist East Timorese IDPs. To date, an estimated 8,000 MT of food have been looted from government food warehouses in East Timor. - In the short-term, the agriculture and food production outlook in East Timor is bleak due to the scale of destruction and displacement, FAO reports. The outcome of the main planting season, which is expected to begin in the next few weeks, is expected to be poor. At present, the food situation in West Timor is not considered as desperate as that in East Timor. - Although the UN-authorized International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) is gaining more access and control outside the East Timor capital of Dili, the overall security situation in East Timor is tenuous due to continued looting and destruction of buildings. The security situation also remains extremely tense in West Timor, due to a large militia presence. - In addition, water/sanitation and health needs remain high in IDP sites in East and West Timor. Humanitarian agencies are also concerned about the possibility of a malaria outbreak during the approaching rainy season. Additional health problems include diarrhea and respiratory infections. Lack of medical supplies and personnel presents a serious concern. - According to press reports, thousands of IDPs are now coming to Dili searching for humanitarian assistance. There are also unconfirmed reports that hundreds of IDPs are coming from the hills that surround the city of Liquica, near Dili. UNICEF reports that as many as 4,000 new IDPs cross from East Timor into West Timor daily. - To date, about 4,500 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. 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, valued at $4.25 per unit, were dispatched to Darwin, Australia, via USAID/OFDA-funded commercial aircraft. USAID/OFDA contributed $1.4 million to transport the HDRs. - In addition, USAID/OFDA has dispatched 500 rolls of plastic sheeting, 20,000 blankets, and 5,200 collapsible 5-gallon water containers. These items arrived in Darwin on September 22 and will be distributed by the UN via helicopter to some 25,000 people. The value of this assistance, including transport, is estimated at $222,950. - A USAID/OFDA grant to an Indonesian NGO is supporting water/sanitation activities to assist IDPs at four sites along the West Timor border. USAID/OFDA initiated this grant in early 1999 at a cost of $165,800 in anticipation of an IDP influx. - In addition, USAID/OFDA recently provided $1 million to WFP for the procurement of 10-20 medium-load trucks to support the logistical operations of the UN and the NGO community. The USAID/OFDA assessment team in Jakarta and the USAID/Jakarta Mission are currently reviewing NGO proposals valued at $3 - 5 million to assist with the delivery of food, shelter, medical assistance, water, sanitation, mosquito nets, and seeds and tools to IDPs in East and West Timor. - 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 $5 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. USAID/FFP also anticipates a substantial contribution to a second WFP emergency operation. This six-month program, currently in the planning stage, aims to provide food assistance to 500,000 people.. - In addition, USAID/FFP is currently supporting ongoing programs in Indonesia through Catholic Relief Services (CRS), 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. Title II commodities in cooperating sponsor pipelines amount to more than 29,000 MT. - USAID/FFP has contributed 6,700 MT of Title II rice and kidney beans, valued at $4.2 million, for East Timor. USAID/FFP is considering a request by CRS to call forward a contingency stock of 2,500 MT of rice and wheat-soya blend for West Timor. - Moreover, the USAID/Office of Population, Health, and Nutrition (PHN) is providing $568,924 to expand and extend an existing grant with WVI for a food security and health initiative in East Timor. This grant will be jointly funded between USAID/OFDA and the USAID/PHN office. - USAID/PHN is also providing $600,000 under an existing grant with the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) and the Indonesian Enterprise and Trade Development Project (IETDP) for a health initiative in East Timor. The Health component includes technical assistance and training which will result in the establishment of a health care strategy to provide primary health care to 10,000 coffee producing families affiliated with IETDP. It includes renovating six clinics and staffing the clinics with medical personnel to provide preventive and curative services. PHN also is providing $5,870 to conduct a health assessment in West Timor. - USAID/Jakarta, working through the (NCBA), is supporting income-generation activities primarily through coffee production. NCBA has already submitted a proposal to develop small- and medium-scale agricultural projects in the private sector. - USAID/Jakarta is also working with the USAID/Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) on an extension of support to the Carter Center for reporting on and planning for conflict resolution and reconciliation work. In addition, the mission is considering proposals in the area of conflict resolution and confidence-building activities. - USAID/Jakarta has also provided $127,000 for transportation and distribution of Title II commodities and $150,000 for seeds and tools to CARE for East Timor. USAID/FFP has provided another $300,000 to CARE for support costs in West Timor. - Additionally, USAID/Jakarta 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 continued displacement on the farming cycle. - In addition to donating 300,000 HDRs, DOD is assisting INTERFET in intelligence gathering, communications, logistics, coordination, and airlift capability. A small contingent of U.S. Marines is providing logistical assistance in Darwin, the base of relief operations in East Timor. In addition, 14 civil affairs personnel from Fort Bragg will assist INTERFET in establishing a Civil Military Operations Center (CMOC) in Dili. The DOD office in Jakarta has supplied navigational maps to WFP to assist in the airdrop operation. - To date, the US State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) has provided a total of $3 million to UNHCR and ICRC to assist both organizations in meeting the needs of IDPs. State/PRM plans to allocate another $2 million to relief agencies to further assist in meeting the needs of IDPs. Relief/Coordination Efforts Food & Logistics - From September 17-29, the UN World Food Program (WFP) reports having airdropped approximately 247,000 of the HDRs in East Timor, in conjunction with the Australian Defense Force. (However, WFP/Jakarta reports only 50% of the 300,000 USG donated HDRs have been airdropped to date. USAID/OFDA is unable to explain this discrepancy.) - At least 120,000 high-energy biscuits provided by WFP, as well as rice and blankets, have also been airdropped. However, airdrops of high-energy biscuits may reportedly be suspended soon. According to unconfirmed reports, some IDPs have reportely fallen sick after eating the biscuits on an empty stomach. Several airdropped biscuits have burst upon impact. - According to unconfirmed press reports, WFP may also suspend HDR airdrops on September 29 and 30, as IDPs are now on the move and their coordinates can not be confirmed. As an alternative, WFP may airlift HDRs from Darwin to Baucau for distribution by road. Airdrops may resume following a security assessment. - 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. An additional 6,000 MT of rice from GOI stocks is expected to arrive in Dili from Surabaya, Java Island, soon. WFP is also procuring an additional 2,400 MT of food commodities in the region. According to the UN, ICRC recently delivered to Dili a shipment of food for 100,000 people. - In anticipation of a large IDP influx, the UN is developing a contingency plan to bring in food, potable water, and medical assistance to Dili. - According to the USAID/OFDA assessment team in Jakarta, the fleet of trucks available for humanitarian operations in East Timor is slowly increasing. As of September 27, a total of 15 trucks were available in Dili. ICRC, UNHCR, and WFP expect to procure about 40 trucks soon. Aid agencies are also urgently trying to acquire water tankers. - Several aid agencies, including CARE, Action contre la Faim (ACF), and ICRC, are preparing to distribute standardized family survival kits in East Timor to meet the non-food needs of IDPs. Each kit includes plastic sheeting, blankets, and hygiene supplies, sleeping mats, kitchen sets, and water containers. About 120,000 kits will eventually be distributed to families in pre-designated areas. In addition, aid agencies plan to distribute timber and basic tool kits to persons whose homes were damaged or destroyed. - WFP recently conducted an assessment of West Timor, which included a visit to the Naen IDP camp located approximately 7 kilometers from Kefamenanu. According to the GOI, about 6,000 IDPs are registered in the camp, although WFP estimates the number of residents to be between 3,000 - 4,000. A local group, Depsos, is providing food assistance and building shelters in the camp. The GOI regularly delivers water from a nearby river, which may soon become contaminated. WFP reports that some children in the camp are suffering from chronic malnutrition. GOI police are providing security in the camp, according to WFP. - Insecurity 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. - WFP has established an air shuttle service from Surabaya to Kupang (the West Timor provincial capital) and Dili and plans to operate a cargo vessel between Darwin and Dili soon. UNICEF is operating a shuttle between Darwin and Dili for transport of UNICEF personnel and relief supplies. The Australian government recently leased an airplane to transport relief personnel and supplies between Darwin and Dili twice a day. Health and Water/Sanitation - Three mobile health teams are being organized in Kupang district to conduct epidemiological surveillance and nutrition activities, as well as to provide medical referrals, health education, and complementary foods. UNICEF plans to support the mobile teams. UNICEF is also working with local officials in Atambua to address the psychosocial needs of IDPs. UNICEF may train church workers on psychosocial counseling. - According to UNICEF, all six medical facilities in the western and eastern sectors of Dili are ready to begin operations. The main hospital in Dili is now open, with medical and surgical staff provided by ICRC. - Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), Medecins du Monde (MDM), and a health team from Portugal have established three way stations in Dili to screen IDPs as they return to Dili. Protection/Security/Shelter - On September 28, UNHCR staff visited Noelbaki, a camp outside of Kupang. The security situation in the camp remains tense due to militia presence. UNHCR is deploying additional specialists in human and refugee rights to West Timor to interview and assist IDPs. According to GOI officials, 60% of IDPs in West Timor wish to return home. Some IDPs in West Timor were forcibly deported from East Timor. - INTERFET is reportedly prepared to provide protection to IDPs in East Timor in the coming days, if militia activities disrupt population movements. - UNHCR plans to assist 100,000 affected East Timorese, as well as an additional 100,000 beneficiaries in West Timor. UNHCR has established an office in Dili as well as offices in Kupang and Atambua to address protection of IDPs. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and UNHCR will share the Kupang sub-office. Coordination - A joint UN/NGO assessment conducted in East and West Timor has indicated that approximately $135.1 million is required to meet the needs of IDPs in East and West Timor from September 1999 through February 2000. Based on this assessment, UN OCHA issued an appeal for $141 million, most of which will support activities in East Timor. - Baucau, located 100 kilometers east of Dili, is now the distribution point for relief operations in the eastern region. According to a recent UN assessment team, Baucau, the island's second largest city, suffered relatively less damage and has an airport capable of receiving heavy cargo aircraft. - On September 23, UN OCHA conducted two aerial assessments over East Timor, with logistical support from INTERFET. The assessment revealed damage to approximately 60-70% of houses in the western region. The towns of Ainaro, Cassa, and Gleno, located south of Dili, also were damaged extensively. The East Timor port of Suay was also reported to be 95% damaged. Manatuto, located between Dili and Baucau, was also destroyed during the violent rampage. Most of the damage was caused by fire and primarily affected small villages. Financial Support - To date, the USG has provided more than $20 million in response to the crisis in East Timor. USG assistance has focused on the provision of food, shelter, health, water/sanitation, and seeds and tools to IDPs in East and West Timor. USAID/OFDA $2,788,750 USAID/FFP $9,200,000 USAID/Jakarta $1,751,794 US DOD $1,275,000 State/PRM $5,000,000 TOTAL USG ASSISTANCE $20,015,544 distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org appeal fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -