Subject: UNHCR chief Ogata to visit Jakarta,
possibly West Timor
Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 08:43:29 EDTUNHCR chief to visit Jakarta, possibly West Timor
GENEVA, Sept 17 (AFP) - The UN refugee chief Sadako Ogata flew off for Jakarta Friday
to meet with Indonesian officials on the East Timor crisis, and may visit West Timor where
East Timorese have poured in to escape bloodshed, her spokesman said here.
Kris Janowski said after Ogata's meetings in Jakarta, the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees was expected to travel to Kupang, the capital of West Timor, then continue on to
Atambua near the border with East Timor.
He said she wants to stress to Jakarta authorities the desperate situation of thousands
of East Timorese forced out of their province by army-backed militiamen.
The militias have gone on a rampage since East Timorese voted overwhelmingly for
independence in a UN-sponsored vote on August 30.
UN agencies estimate some 150,000 East Timorese are in desperate need of food, and that
300,000 to 400,000 people have left their homes to escape the rampaging militias.
The first planes carrying aid to starving refugees flew to East Timor on Friday.
Two aircraft chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross landed in Dili
carrying food and medical aid.
Two Australian Air Force Hercules transport planes took off from Darwin with rice and
blankets to be airdropped to the town of Ermera, south of Dili, where 20,000 displaced
people were believed to be sheltering.
"We have contacts on site to receive the parachuted packages, mark off the drop
zones and distribute aid, but no one from our organisation," World Food Programme
(WFP) spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume said.
"As of Monday, we will begin the first 'snowdrops', which consist of two
high-energy biscuits in each packet and which fall like snowflakes," she said.
Many East Timorese are reportedly hiding out in the hills and jungles.
"As we do not need to organise the reception of these snowdrops, we can reach
areas which are much more difficult to access," she said.
The WFP, a UN agency, said it hopes to drop some 70 tonnes of supplies over East Timor.
It has launched an appeal for donors to contribute 5.6 million dollars in aid for the
150,000 East Timorese over a period of two months.
World Leaders Contact List The East Timorese need you
to speak out for them
Back to September Menu
Human Rights Violations in East Timor
Main Postings Menu |
