Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Dili (Agenzia Fides) - NGOs operating in East Timor say more funds are needed to face the present emergency. The UN High Commission for Refugees, the Jesuit Refugee Service and the Italian NGO International Volunteers for Development connected with the Salesians, have asked the international community to give more aid to face the emergency of people displaced by widespread disorder in East Timor.
Calling on donors to be more generous, UNHCR says it has urgent need of 4.8 million dollars and so far it has received 286,000 dollars from Australia, 185,000 from private donors in Australia and 50,000 Euro from Germany. The funds serve to provide shelter, prime necessities and protection for about 30,000 internally displaced persons.
The first stage of an UNHCR airlift to East Timor concluded with the arrival in Dili of the third flight from Darwin, northern Australia. The aid had been sent to Darwin from regional UNHCR deposits in Jordan: 56 tonnes of tents, blankets, plastic sheeting and water cans are now in Dili. The rest of the aid will arrive on a ship which left Darwin on 11 June. When this arrives UNHCR will have aid for 17,000 people. The agency plans to send a total 400 tonnes of aid in different stages.
Besides food emergency, security is still a major concern for over 65,000 homeless people in Dili. UNHCR is also trying to relieve congestion in about 40 spontaneous camps around the capital and improve camp conditions. UNHCR operators in charge of planning sites, programme and protection met with local priests, representatives of the displaced persons, government authorities and representatives of other humanitarian organisations to identity sites needed for immediate intervention.
Work has started on two sites -Don Bosco School and Dili Airport- to put up tents to reduce overcrowding in camps. In the meantime 40 tents have been given to the National Hospital after staff accommodation was destroyed. UNHCR and the East Timor government are considering opening more camps. (Agenzia Fides 12/6/2006 righe 28 parole 287)
