Timor refugees running out of food, U.N. says

An East Timorese family sit in front of their makeshift home at Tuapukan refugee camp in Kupang, West Timor

KUPANG, Indonesia (Reuters) -- The United Nations warned on Sunday that thousands of refugees left helpless in West Timor by the evacuation of foreign aid workers were running out of food.

"The conditions are getting worse and worse," Jake Morland, of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said from Denpasar on Bali, where he was evacuated after pro-Jakarta militias killed three UNHCR workers.

"They are running out of food. We gave the last food supplies to them last month so if the (Indonesian) government does not accept the moral responsibility to take over the situation, we will see a security meltdown."

INTERACTIVE MAP Fragile Archipelago -- a look at conflict areas in Indonesia and environs     ALSO y: Visiting East Timor, one bittersweet year after     MESSAGE BOARD Strife in Indonesia

Asked if the refugees had enough food for another month, he said: "It will be shorter than that."

More than 120,000 East Timorese refugees remain in camps in Indonesian West Timor, where they were herded by the militias who razed East Timor after it voted in August 1999 to end Indonesia's harsh military rule.

A spokesman for groups opposing East Timorese independence warned the food shortage would ignite fighting between refugees and West Timorese.

"There's already hatred," Mario Viera told Reuters.

"The refugees are running out of food now. They will loot and rob the locals who will then hate the East Timorese more and try to force the refugees out of West Timor."

Hundreds of U.N. and other aid workers were evacuated after the militias killed three UNHCR foreign staff and at least six local residents in the West Timor town of Atambua on Wednesday.

Indonesia's official Antara news agency on Saturday quoted one refugee, Rosario Soares, 32, as saying the Sulamu camp ran out of food two months ago.

"Before the foreign agencies left...we already didn't have any food," Soares said. "Our last help was from Care International on July 28, when they gave each person 12 kg of rice. Now we have no food."

After an emergency cabinet meeting on Friday, Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri ordered 100 tons of rice to be sent to the refugees.

Morland warned conditions could not improve until the militias were disbanded.

Atambua began returning to normal on Sunday after several tense days, but security remains tight to head off any further violence.

"Residents today are beginning to go out from their houses and do their routine activities," army sergeant Laurensius said from the town, about 2,000 km (1,200 miles) east of Jakarta.

Indonesian authorities have arrested at least 15 people over Wednesday's violence, but the UNHCR said on Sunday that was not enough and might provoke retaliation by the militias.

"We require more comprehensive action by the Indonesians," said UNHCR East Timor-based spokeswoman Ellen Hanson.

"Along with the international community, we are insisting on the disbanding of the militias immediately.

"It concerns us if only some of the people responsible are arrested. What we really want is comprehensive action."

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Military breakdown seen as threat to Indonesia's reforms
September 9, 2000
U.N. reports 20 more killed in West Timor
September 8, 2000
International, Indonesian aid workers flee violence-racked West Timor
September 7, 2000
U.N. says thousands attack its offices in West Timor
September 6, 2000
Indonesia names 19 as suspects in East Timor violence
September 1, 2000
United Nations relief agency suspends West Timor aid after attacks
August 23, 2000

Political Resources on the Net - East Timor
East Timor Today
United Nations
  • U.N. High Commisioner for Refugees
  • U.N. Transitional Administration in East Timor
East Timor Action Network U.S.
Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights
PEMDA DKI Homepage

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.