E.Timorese refugees face starvation<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government has practically halted humanitarian aid
\nfor 143,803 East Timorese refugees now living in West Timor, East
\nNusa Tenggara, since September, or three months earlier than its
\nofficial plan to cut all aid for refugees in December this year.<\/p>\n
The refugees told The Jakarta Post at their camps in Kupang
\nand Noelbaki village on Thursday that they had no idea why the
\naid had been abruptly stopped.<\/p>\n
Up to September, each refugee had been provided with 400 grams
\nof rice and Rp 1,500 per day.<\/p>\n
\"We have received nothing since September. We are really in
\ntrouble,\" Manuel Agustino Olieveira, a refugee said in Kupang.<\/p>\n
A similar complaint was also voiced by Zuka Mudjiono Lay, the
\nrefugee camp coordinator in Noelbaki.<\/p>\n
He said as many as 8,214 people from 1,481 families had run
\nout of food since the aid had been stopped three months ago.<\/p>\n
\"They have had to find their own way to make ends meet; some
\nask food from local residents,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the head of Ministry of Social Affairs provincial
\noffice, Husein Pancratius, admitted that the government had been
\nlate in distributing rice and money.<\/p>\n
\"Yes, we acknowledge that, but we want to give what is due to
\nthem before December,\" Husein said, without explaining why the
\naid had been stopped.<\/p>\n
He said the government's 'debt' to the refugees totaled Rp 27
\nbillion and some 6,000 tons of rice.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/etimorese-refugees-face-starvation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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