East Timorese refugees face starvation<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
Around 2,000 East Timorese refugees living in numerous camps
\nin Noelbaki and Tuapukan regencies, East Nusa Tenggara, are
\nfacing starvation as they have received no food aid from the
\nprovincial government over the last four months.<\/p>\n
Marsel Nahak, 36, an East Timorese refugee in Noelbaki, called
\non the provincial government to resume the distribution of food
\naid to more than 1,870 refugees in the regency as they were
\nunable to meet their daily food requirements.<\/p>\n
\"We have received no food since early June. We had taken this
\nproblem to the local administration to sort out but no response
\nhas yet been given,\" he said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Abrao Sarmento Soares, 39, coordinator of refugees in
\nNoelbaki, concurred and said he had reported to governor Piet A.
\nTallo on several occasions about the poor situation at the
\nrefugee camps in the regency but, so far, no satisfying response
\nhad been given.<\/p>\n
The government has provided Rp 1,500 and 400 grams of rice per
\nperson as daily food aid to the East Timorese refugees who are
\nstill staying in the country.<\/p>\n
The refugees were the remainder of around 290,000 East
\nTimorese who crossed to the province following the 1999 East
\nTimor election, which voted for East Timor's independence. The
\nmajority of them returned to their homeland while some want to
\nstay in Indonesia. The U.S. government recently pledged President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri US$2 million in aid for the East Timorese
\nrefugees who had chosen to remain in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
East Nusa Tenggara's provincial administration recently
\nreturned to central government Rp 80 billion allocated for the
\nEast Timorese refugees because it was no longer needed.<\/p>\n
According to The Jakarta Post's monitoring in the field, the
\nrefugees have experienced poor conditions because, besides food
\nshortages, they no longer receive any health care or education
\nprogram.<\/p>\n
Simon Seran, another refugee, said several camps built to
\nprovide health facilities and an education program for refugees
\nwere no longer functioning for reasons that were so far unclear
\nto them.<\/p>\n
\"The health clinic established near the refugee camps no
\nlonger functions and refugees who are in need of medical aid have
\nto take a six-kilometer trip to reach a public health center.<\/p>\n
\"The health clinic has ceased because its medical staff no
\nlonger visit the refugee camps and the education program for
\nschool-age refugees has stopped,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, J.B. Kosapilawan, spokesman for the provincial
\nadministration, said the local government would take concrete
\naction to help repair the poor conditions of the refugees.<\/p>\n
He said the provincial government would immediately resume the
\ndistribution of food aid to the refugees to help solve the food
\ncrisis while the education and health program would be
\ncoordinated with the related ministry offices.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/east-timorese-refugees-face-starvation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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