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In Brief
This Bulletin (no. 01/2006) is being issued for information only, and reflects the status of the situation and information available at this time. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time.
The Situation
Frightened by violent events that developed in the Timor-Leste capital over the last week of April, and by alarming rumours, numerous people have left their Dili homes and fled back to their home villages. Thousands have gathered at different points in Dili. A rapid assessment conducted by the Timor-Leste Red Cross (Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste or CVTL) on Saturday, 29 April 2006, in the main places where the people had sought shelter recorded approximately 15,000 displaced persons in six known locations. By the evening of 2 May, people had left several of these centres, but around 9,000 still did not dare to return home, at least not for the night.
On 29 April, the people in Don Bosco College, the most important of the temporary shelters, had received some rice and water from the local church, but as the resources were limited there was a request for CVTL to provide food, and water and sanitation facilities for the displaced people.
A joint assessment conducted by the ministry of labour and community reinsertion and CVTL on Monday at all the 14 known locations provided the following statistics on displaced people:
Place and Number of people
Junior/Senior Kristal School, Balide:
220
Kanosiana, Balide: 408
Saleziana, Balide: 564
Police Station, Becora: 1,700
Susteran Saboraka Laran, Becora: 600
Bus Terminal, Becora: 175
Polici Militar, Caicoli: 1,075
Canosiana, Comoro: 348
FDTL, Masin-Lidun, Tacitolu, Comoro: 214
Police academy, Comoro: 138
Don Bosco and airport, Comoro: 7,833
Marabia, Dare: 300
Mutiara 1-2, Market, Lauhata, Leopa, Puke Laran - Liquica: 744
Taman Mini, Aldeia Lirio, Farol: 100
Total: 14,419
Red Cross and Red Crescent action
CVTL has established a first aid team at national headquarters as a contingency measure. All Dili branch staff and volunteers have been mobilized for operational needs. CVTL transported one dead body to the national hospital on 29 April.
CVTL, together with the Federation and ICRC have held a Movement meeting and also met with the minister of labour and community reinsertion to discuss the actions to be taken to support the displaced people. The government has requested the national society to first assess the numbers of displaced population and then, if needed, provide some basic assistance to them. After its volunteers conducted the assessment, CVTL contacted the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide emergency food, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to help with transportation (one truck). CVTL received 305 boxes (nett weight of 12 kg each) of BP-5 high-energy biscuits from WFP. CVTL volunteers and staff supported by the Federation and the Austrian Red Cross country representative distributed the biscuits and packaged drinking water to 14,000 people at six temporary shelters (Junior/Senior Kristal School, Kanosiana, Saleziana, Don Bosco, Airport and Taman Mini) on 29 April.
On 30 April, the food and water distribution was continued, and visits to many temporary shelters were made upon request. On 1 May, CVTL held a coordination meeting with the government and UN to establish new assessment teams requested by the government. A total of 12 teams were sent and they identified about 20 different temporary shelters, accommodating at that moment up to 14,400 people, mostly families. Locations mapped outside Dili were in Liquica (744 people) and Dare (300). The largest shelter according to the data was still Don Bosco with up to 7,800 people. The official report of these assessments were not available at the time of reporting, but the numbers are based on the data obtained directly from the assessment teams, each of which had a representative from CVTL. Some of the displaced people were out in the city during the day and only returned to shelters for the night, but it was not clear how many they were. Throughout 1 May, support was still offered to certain shelters by CVTL, depending on needs. People were encouraged to return to their homes, but many of them were still too scared.
On 2 May, CVTL and the Federation held a meeting to organize support for people sheltering in Liquica. The number of people in Liquica was 744 as of 1 May, but reports from there on 2 May and 3 May indicated that this number was increasing, possibly up to 2,000 people. On 2 May, BP-5 biscuits and water were being mobilized for people in Liquica. Oxfam was contacted to provide a water tank and water distribution system in cooperation with the UN Staff Administrative Services (SAS).
CVTL's secretary-general returned to the country on 1 May to take the lead in the operation. Close coordination with the government is being continued under her leadership.
The ministry of labour and community reinsertion established a desk for people to report on their missing family members. People whose family members have gone missing during the latest events in Dili have also contacted CVTL for assistance.
The Federation country delegation has provided technical support to CVTL disaster management and health units in meeting the authorities, sharing information, assessments and emergency response. The Federation acting head of delegation requested Red Cross cars only to be used for transportation. Over the weekend, all unnecessary travel was avoided, but after the unrest calmed down by 2 May, travel restrictions were withdrawn.
CVTL will monitor the situation closely in the coming days with the Federation and ICRC, and be prepared for further actions as needed.
For further information:
Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (Timor-Leste Red Cross): Ms. Isabel Amaral Guterres (secretary-general); email: sec-gen@cvtl.tp; Phone: +67.07.24.8963; Fax: +67.03.32.1688
Federation delegation in Timor-Leste: Bhupinder Tomar (acting head of delegation); email: bhupinder.tomar@ifrc.org; Phone: +67.07.23.1330; Fax: +67.03.32.2010
Federation regional delegation in Bangkok: Bekele Geleta (head of regional delegation); email: bekele.geleta@ifrc.org; Phone: +66.2.640.8211; Fax: +66.2.640.8220
In Geneva: Southeast Asia desk, Charles Evans/Sabine Feuglet; email: charles.evans@ifrc.org or sabine.feuglet@ifrc.org; Phone: +41.22.730.4320/4349; Fax: +41.22.733.0395
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (Sphere) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.
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