Population Displacement OCHA Situation Report

Timor-Leste: Population Displacement OCHA Situation Report No. 12

This report is based on information received from the United Nations Office in Timor-Leste (UNOTIL), UN Agencies, international NGOs and media sources.

SITUATION

1. The security situation in Dili remains calm. Security forces report isolated law and order incidents including occasional house-burnings and looting. It was last week determined to be safe for international police to carry out patrols without a military escort. Traffic in Dili is returning to normality following the international police pushing for the implementation of traffic rules.

2. Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos-Horta was named as new Prime Minister on 10 July. The new Prime Minister's deputies, Agriculture Minister Estanislau da Silva and Health Minister Rui Araujo, attended the sworn event along with senior Catholic bishops and foreign diplomats. The new Prime Minister said his priorities to be to boost security in the country, reopening of public schools in Dili, starting national reconciliation talks and the appointment of a new cabinet.

3. A meeting to discuss IDP returns was convened on 6 July by the then Coordinating Minister Jose Ramos Horta. Participants included senior government ministers, representatives of the international community, international security forces, UN agencies and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator. Minister Bano of the Ministry of Labour and Community Reinsertion (MTRC) has established a return and reintegration working group, which met for the first time on 11 July.

4. Following re-opening of government ministries, Humanitarian Coordination Group meetings have resumed at the Ministry of Labour and Community Reinsertion (MTRC). Sector working groups provide technical forums for the coordination of Food Security, Health and Nutrition, Water and Sanitation, Protection, Shelter/NFIs, Education and Camp Management and continue meeting regularly.

5. Sukehiro Hasegawa, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General (SRSG) in Timor-Lese presented the Prime Minister on 11 July with a copy of a report on “Strengthening Accountability and Transparency in Timor-Leste” prepared by a team of international experts, who visited Timor Leste for that purpose late last year. The 62 page report was published in April 2006 but had to await distribution due to deteriorating security situation.

6. There have been no recent updates on the figures provided by camp managers: 72,872 IDPs are reported to be living at 59 locations in Dili as of 3 July.

7. Preliminary findings of the Rapid Joint Assessment of IDPs in districts outside Dili are now available. The exercise set out to assess the impact of IDPs on host communities in the districts, with the participation of INGOs and UN agencies (Concern, CRS, OCHA, Oxfam, Plan, WFP, UNICEF and World Vision) working with district administrations. The assessment revealed that 96% of IDPs in the districts were living with host families and that the main concern was food security due to the sudden increase in the population. Limited food stocks and purchasing power mean that the regular lean period will arrive early this year (September likely). The lean period is expected to be more severe than usual and is likely to have a knock-on effect in other sectors including Water and Sanitation, Health, Education and Protection. A finalized report with inputs from each of the sector working groups will be made available next week.

8. The Ministry of Health, in conjunction with WHO, established a health surveillance and response system for IDPs in early June. The latest data shows the following medical complaints recorded among IDPs in Dili: acute upper respiratory infection (64.9%); skin infections (10.3%); clinical malaria (7.3%); acute watery diarrhoea (7.3%); injuries (3.7%); conjunctivitis (3.4%) and pneumonia (2.6%).

9. The multi-disciplinary needs assessment mission led by Ian Martin, Special Envoy of the UN SG to Timor Leste, has finished its consultations and will present its recommendations for the Security Council on future UN assistance. Ian Martin said during a press conference on 9 July that the UN would focus on two important areas: the reconstruction of PNTL (National Police Force) and the assistance for the upcoming Parliament and Presidential elections. The Special UN Envoy also stressed the judiciary system would function properly once PNTL is reorganized. On the Special Independent Commission of Inquiry, Ian Martin said the investigation is underway and that it should be in accordance with the Timor-Leste judiciary system. The UN Special Envoy said it will be extremely difficult to have anticipated elections, as it takes time for preparation and consultations to be carried out, noting that the elections in Timor-Leste would be conducted as determined by the country’s constitution.

RESPONSE

10. WFP distributed 60.55 MT of assorted food commodities to Dili IDP camps between 7 and 10 July and began the third cycle of food distribution to all IDP camps on 7 July. IOM delivered 201.36 MT of government rice between 7 and 10 July and plans to distribute rice, oil, CSB and sugar to 12 schools in Liquica and community health centres in Ainaro as part of the school feeding program with WFP on 11 July.

11. UNHCR’s mobile technical team (with plumber, carpenter and general-hand recruited from various IDP communities) is already at work in a number of sites carrying out urgent repairs and drainage improvement works. The mobile team’s work is being coordinated with the WATSAN Working Group, chaired by UNICEF.

12. IOM has finished rapid assessments of five IDP camps in Hera. Findings show that only one of the camps (Port Marina) has received rice and food. All are lacking in provision of non-food items and water and sanitation facilities. IOM will respond in delivering rice to the other camps and coordinate with agencies to address current gaps in humanitarian assistance.

13. Special envoy of the European Commission to East Timor, Dr. Miguel Amado, is in Timor Leste. He will meet with representatives of international organizations to discuss how the EC can best support Timor Leste. The latest ECHO contributions towards the Flash Appeal are: WFP 1 160 000 euros, UNHCR 1 500 000 euros, Worldvision 200 000 euros and Plan International 140 000 euros.

14. Key findings of an UNFPA/Rede Feto’s Gender based Violence (GBV) assessment at Dili IDP camps show that GBV is not a major emerging issue from the IDP camps but the potential for violence is high, given the close proximity of tents/shelter accommodation, sleeping arrangements of IDPs, etc. Most women feel relatively safe in the IDP camps and prefer to stay inside the camps. Many women see the most dangerous period to be when they return to their homes during the day. Some women in the IDP camps are reported suffering trauma and many women have noticed change in their children become more withdrawn or more aggressive. Several men in the IDP camps have displayed signs of suffering trauma.

15. Camp management trainers from the Norwegian Refugee Council will spend this week visiting IDP camps to familiarize themselves with camp management issues in Dili. They will tailor next week’s training module to meet needs observed during this week’s assessment. Training will be held for local camp managers and representatives of the Site Liaison Support (SLS) network.

OCHA is in close contact with the UN Country Team and UNOTIL in Dili and will revert with further information as it becomes available. This situation report, together with further information on ongoing emergencies, is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.