UNHCR warns against Indonesia's planned cut-off of aid for East Timorese refugees
29 March -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today warned against Indonesia's plans to end relief assistance to East Timorese refugees in West Timor after 31 March.
In a statement released in Geneva, UNHCR said the Indonesian Government had given the refugees in 200 camps in West Timor until the end of this month to decide whether to go back to East Timor or remain in Indonesia, threatening to cut off aid deliveries on 1 April.
"We appreciate Indonesia's efforts to date to help East Timorese refugees, but we are concerned that an early discontinuation of assistance will have a negative impact on the well-being of the refugees and on the repatriation programme, postponing a solution to the crisis," said François Fouinat, UNHCR's Geneva-based official in charge of Asia.
An agreement had been signed between Indonesia and UNHCR on 14 October 1999, giving Indonesia overall responsibility for the safety and care of the refugees. Since the announcement of the deadline earlier this month, UNHCR has called on the authorities to be flexible and allow for voluntary repatriation to continue.
