Resettlement project to commence in West Sumba<\/p>\n
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in
\ncooperation with the government, will resettle an estimated
\n30,000 East Timorese refugees who have decided to stay in
\nIndonesia and not return home.<\/p>\n
UNHCR officials said that they had been working with the
\nCoordinating Ministry for Peoples' Welfare and the Ministry of
\nResettlement and Regional Infrastructure for this purpose.<\/p>\n
"We will initiate a pilot project early this year in West
\nSumba where the local community is ready to accept the refugees
\nto stay in the regency," said Fernando Protti-Alvarado, the
\nassistant regional representative, at a news briefing here on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
Basically, the UNHCR and the government have agreed that both
\nsides would resettle the refugees in any region where local
\ncommunities were ready to accept them.<\/p>\n
"This is time consuming, but it will avoid any potential
\nconflict in the future," Protti-Alvarado added.<\/p>\n
Also speaking at the news briefing were UNHCR Regional
\nRepresentative Robert P. Ashe and his assistant Choosin
\nNgaotheppitak.<\/p>\n
Protti-Alvarado explained that his office had outlined a
\nresettlement scheme that would be disseminated to regions who
\nexpressed a willingness to accommodate the refugees.<\/p>\n
The resettlement scheme offers aid packages for refugees who
\nare willing to move to new resettlement areas. It includes
\ndomestic needs or food assistance for up to nine months.<\/p>\n
UNHCR will work closely with the United Nations Development
\nProgram (UNDP), which will give financial assistance to host
\ncommunities where the refugees settle.<\/p>\n
The amount of funds, he said, would depend on the number of
\nfamilies relocating to the area.<\/p>\n
Earlier reports said that the government had prepared a number
\nof resettlement sites for refugees in the East Sumba, West Sumba
\nand Ngada regencies, all in the East Nusa Tenggara province,
\nwhile South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan have offered
\nresettlement sites under the local transmigration scheme.<\/p>\n
The refugees have welcomed the move, but demanded that the
\ngovernment provide support facilities, such as schools and health
\ncenters at the resettlement sites.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ashe disclosed that 4,323 East Timorese children
\nhad become separated from their parents following the bloody
\nrampage in Dili in 1999 after a UN-sanctioned referendum resulted
\nin East Timor's cessation from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The ensuing violence killed hundreds of civilians, mostly
\nindependence supporters, and destroyed almost 80 percent of the
\ninfrastructure in the former Portuguese colony, which achieved
\nfull independence on May 20, 2002.<\/p>\n
Ashe added that almost half the number of separated children
\nwere in East Timor while their parents may have fled to West
\nTimor.<\/p>\n
He added that a total of 3,504 cases of separated children had
\nbeen closed for several reasons. At least 2,131 children were
\nreunited with their families while the 1,373 other cases were
\nclosed because the children had turned 18, got married or had
\ndied.<\/p>\n
Although a large number of cases have been closed, there are
\nstill 819 separated children in various cities throughout the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
"Our agenda is to ensure that contact is reestablished between
\nchildren and their parents," Ashe said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/resettlement-project-to-commence-in-west-sumba-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}