UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 01 December 2004
ReliefWeb/OCHA Situation Report: Indonesia: OCHA
Humanitarian Update Oct 2004
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Highlights:
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla were sworn in as President and Vice
President for the 2004 - 2009 period by the People's Consultative Assembly.
Some cities in Kalimantan have been blanketed by haze resulting from forest fires in
Central and East Kalimantan, impeding people's mobility and raising health concerns.
Relevant ministers under the Coordinating Minister of Political, Law and Security
Affairs have reviewed priority programmes for Aceh, including the implementation of
the integrated operation under the state of civil emergency.
Six civilians in Mulia, Puncak Jaya District, were killed by alleged Free Papua
Movement (OPM) rebels.
Fresh violence broke out in Aralle Sub-district, Mamasa District,West Sulawesi; at
least three people were killed and some 1,500 people sought refuge in neighbouring
sub-districts.
IDP problems in Maluku cannot be settled by the end of 2004 and the local
government says that it requires some USD 33 million (IDR 300 billion) to manage the
remaining 22,688 IDP families in the Province.
Major events:
National: Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla were sworn in as the new
President and Vice President for the 2004 - 2009 period by the People's Consultative
Assembly. Several dignitaries from neighbouring countries attended the ceremony,
including Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah
Ahmad Badawi, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee
Hsien Loong and Timore L'Este Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri. In his first address to the
nation, president Yudhoyono said that his administration will concentrate on domestic
problems, including handling the conflicts in Aceh and Papua.
Natural Disaster:
Some cities in Kalimantan have been blanketed by haze resulting from forest fires in
Central and East Kalimantan, impeding people's mobility and raising health concerns.
The airport in Palangkaraya, capital city of Central Kalimantan, has cancelled some
flights as a result of poor visibility. Schools in certain areas have also been closed.
Regional Updates:
Aceh: Relevant ministers under the Coordinating Minister of Political, Law and
Security Affairs have prioritised a number of short-term programmes to settle
problems in the Province during the first 100 days of the new government. One of the
programmes is to review the implementation of the integrated operation under the civil
emergency status that will end in November 2004. Several options were suggested,
including maintaining the current civil emergency in GAM strongholds or replacing it
with full military command status. According to media reports, the security situation
in Aceh is improving.
Several international humanitarian organizations are continuing their activities. IOM
held an Emergency Management Workshop in Banda Aceh, ICMC conducted sewing
training in Banda Aceh, and Save the Children US continues malaria control and
nutrition intervention programmes in Simeuleu District. The provincial government
distributed USD 176,000 (IDR 1.6 billion) to 829 widows in Benar Meuriah District and
USD 121,000 (IDR 1.1 billion) to 389 people in Central Aceh District.
Papua: According to Police, members of Free Papua Movement (OPM) killed six
civilians in Mulia, Puncak Jaya District. The victims were all migrants working for a
construction company. A joint team of police and military have launced intensive
security operations to control the situation in the area.
The UN Resident Coordinator visited the Province to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS
issues. Representatives of UNDP, ILO, UNAIDS, the Swedish Embassy, the
Netherlands Embassy, DFID, AusAID and relevant national government officials
attended the event.
Central Sulawesi: International humanitarian organisations in Poso District are
continuing their regular activities and programmes: IMC (mobile clinics activities and
health campaigns), Mercy Corps (education and income generation), CWS
(distribution of food items and agriculture), and CARE (health and nutrition) despite a
series of sniper attacks, armed demonstrations and the discovery of some 150
homemade shrapnel bombs in the troubled district during the month.
West Sulawesi: Fresh violence broke out in Aralle Sub-district, Mamasa District; at
least three people were killed and some 1,500 people sought refuge in neighbouring
sub-districts. The Mamasa conflict has simmered for over two years since the
enactment of Law No. 11/2002 splitting Polewali Mamasa into Polewali and Mamasa
districts. The Law requires the predominantly Muslim sub-districts of Aralle,
Tabulahan and Mambi to join the predominantly Christian district of Mamasa. The
police have tightened security in the area and have arrested suspects accused of
provoking the violence. Meanwhile, IDPs have been gradually returning to their
villages.
Maluku: The local government of Maluku admitted that the problems confronting IDPs
cannot be settled by the end 2004 and some USD 33 million (IDR 300 billion) is
required to provide for the needs of remaining 22,688 IDP families in the Province. The
central government has allocated USD 8 million (IDR 70 billion) this year to help some
6,900 HH, while another 15,788 HH will receive assistance from next year's budget.
Mercy Corps (multi sectoral), CARDI (youth empowerment and community
rehabilitation), Save the Children UK (social protection, peace bulding and education),
ICMC (peace building), JRS (multi sectoral), IMC (health), MSF - Belgium (TB and
mental health), OXFAM GB (information mapping and health), WFP (rice distribution
for women participated in trauma counselling), UNICEF (health, education, water and
sanitation, and child protection), UNFPA through the National Family Planning
Agency (reproductive health) continue to provide assistance in the Province.
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