UN and USAID join forces to alleviate unemployment in East Timor
17 April -- The United Nations mission in East Timor and the United States development agency, USAID, today launched an emergency employment scheme that will enable districts throughout the country to hire workers on a short-term basis.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed in Dili between the UN Transitional Administration in EastTimor (UNTAET) and USAID stipulates the distribution of $100,000 to all 13 districts to cover the wages of workers employed in clean-up projects and the rehabilitation of sports facilities.
The agreement, which will provide employment for 15,000 people for six weeks, includes an additional donation of $94,000 per district from USAID for tools and sporting equipment.
In another development, UNTAET Peacekeeping Force Commander Lt. General Jaime de los Santos today met with the Commander of the Indonesian Army, Admiral Widodo, in an informal meeting at the border between East and West Timor. After a brief discussion, Mr. de los Santos told the press that he was satisfied at the level of cooperation between UN peacekeepers and the Indonesian Army.
"I would like to reassure East Timorese refugees still in West Timor that East Timor is safe and stable, and that they can come back to their homes," he added.
The two commanders agreed that occasional problems - such as recent air and land crossovers of the border - should be resolved at the low, tactical level.
