Doctors, psychologists to aide Sampang refugees

Doctors, psychologists to aide Sampang refugees

JAKARTA (JP): A team of doctors and psychologists are to leave
on Sunday for a week-long mission to Sampang, East Java where
more than 60,000 Madurese are sheltering after having fled ethnic
clashes in Central Kalimantan.

The members of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MERC)
of Jakarta and Malang, East Java, branches, are to provide
refugees with health services as well as trauma-counseling. The
team will also take supplies of milk powder and medicine worth Rp
30 million.

Some 1,700 women refugees are expectant mothers.

"The parameter of success for such a mission is if we could
reduce the refugees' death rate, but any health program for the
refugees would have to be long-term in nature," said team leader
Dr Yogi Prabowo. "We will monitor progress every three months
through our Malang branch."

The 60,000 refugees in Sampang are part of the approximately
108,000 Madurese settlers who were driven away from the Central
Kalimantan towns of Sampit, Kuala Kapuas and Pangkalan Bun by the
native Dayaks after explosions of violence which peaked in
February. Some 500 Madurese were killed and beheaded by the
Dayaks.

A humanitarian team sent out by MERC on Feb. 1, 2001 witnessed
and recorded how the decapitated corpses of Madurese were
scattered in Sampit. "All Madurese have now left Sampit and taken
refuge in Madura," spokesman Suseno said.

The media have reported that, as of last Wednesday, more than
50 children refugees in Sampang have died from malnutrition-
related diarrhea and respiratory infections. (swe)