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"We will never let the people down, we are here"
- Timor-Leste government coordinates emergency assistance program,
20 June 2006
For 51 days, the staff of the Timor-Leste Ministry of Labor and
Community Reinsertion has responded to the waves of community
fear and surges of people into safe areas in Dili and in other
districts. They have ensured that people have basic needs and
know they have not been abandoned. Today over 148,000 people rely
on the coordination by this Ministry, the MTRC.
"Our staff, whether they come from east or west, have continued
to work together to serve the people," said Minister Arsénio
Bano . "Despite the shooting, we have always had about 90%
of our staff on duty, even though many of us also have to live
in the Internally Displaced Persons centres too". As of June
17, there were 57 such IDP centres in Dili, helping over 69,000
people, and there are more than 78,000 in IDP centres or with
other families in the Districts and Sub-Districts.
After the first impact of the political crisis hit the community
on April 28, the international community responded as if Timor-Leste
was a 'failed state', with no capacity of its own to make an organised
response. However, the MTRC quickly demonstrated its capacity
to coordinate with UN agencies and NGO aid agencies to provide
food, water, sanitation, shelter and health services to the IDP
centres. MTRC had consistent backup from other Ministries, such
as Health, Water, Public Works, Transport and Communications,
Agriculture, Finance and State Administration.
"It was very important on the human level that we helped
everyone in need, and it was also important because otherwise
the political conflict may have escalated," said Minister
Bano. "With the UN's Flash Appeal for US$16 million, we need
to ensure the programs are implemented effectively and transparently,
using all the lessons we learned from the UNTAET period".
The Inter-Agency Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Group started
operating on May 1 with two basic mechanisms - a General Coordinating
Meeting three times per week at 9.30 am, and a Sectoral Coordination
Working Group which works in seven sectors - water and sanitation,
health, food, shelter, District Teams, Protection Group. Assessment
and Information Teams - based on all agencies and NGOs - ensure
good information on the changing conditions of displaced people
and enable good planning and use of warehousing and distribution.
There is a daily radio program, and a media conference every second
day at 2.30pm.
IDP centres are managed by nuns and priests. UNFPA, and the NGOs
Concern, Care, CVTL (Red Cross Timor-Leste), HAI, ICRC (International
Red Cross), Plan, Christian Relief Service, Caritas Australia
and Austcare provide focal points in the IDP Centres. These agencies
and organisations link the Coordination Group and the people in
the centres.
The MRTC has distributed rice, and the World Food Program has
distributed supplementary food items, to all IDP centres and to
vulnerable people still in their homes, and government institutions.
The Timor-Leste government has spent over US$1 million to buy
5000 tonnes of rice, of which the New Zealand government paid
for 1000 tonnes. Ships have been sent to Atauro Island and to
Oecusse, and trucks to all Districts.
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