CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 -- Ambon 97124 -- Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: crisiscentre01@hotmail.com
Ambon, June 26, 2005
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 482
1. MISCELLANEOUS ON REFUGEES
HEALTH - Health of refugees in several camps in Ambon city is deteriorating.
Malnutrition of children, too, is becoming more and more commonplace in the camps.
For instance, according to The Jakarta Post daily, among the 159 infants of the
refugee camp of Waihaong, city of Ambon, there are 25 who are suffering from
malnutrition. People not seldom are ashamed because of their unhealthy looking
children and so hide them. Health centres personnel now have started to drop in at
those places trying to find out what is amiss and what can be done. Chief of
Waihaong Community Health Center, Wendy Pattisahusiwa, said that every
malnourished child would receive intensive medical treatment. She said: "We have
done the random check several times, but when our officials went door to door, some
parents responded negatively by closing their doors". She would now hold a campaign
in order to raise people's awareness of the importance of nutritious food for their
children.
OPTION - The Jakarta Post daily reports that in the North Moluccas the provincial
government has offered 575 refugee families that still live in camps in Ternate city, the
option of remaining in the camps or returning to their hometowns. The chief of the
Maluku Social Welfare Agency, Chris Hehanussa, said the responses of the families
would help the government decide how to handle their cases.
TEARING DOWN OF BARRACKS - As more and more refugees now at last are
receiving the by the governmnent allotted funds to build or reconstruct their houses,
the longsheds or barracks where many of them have been sheltering for five or six
years now, are gradually being demolished. The diocesan Crisis Centre, too, has
already torn down most of its barracks. The Rinamakana Foundation and the
diocesan social department simultaneously are assisting the refugees in constructing
their simple plywood houses, mainly in the Ahuru neighbourhood (see attached
photographs from June 2005, showing the ?Kalvari? area of Ahuru at the outskirts of
the city of Ambon).
2. VICTIMS OF MALARIA - Detikcom reports on an outbreak of malaria in East
Ceram, specifically in the village of Wawasa, island of Gorom (Gorong). Among the
800 afflicted by the disease, 35 have died. Some reports claim that also malnutrition
and lack of food play a role in this distressing situation. Last April Governor Karel A.
Ralahalu himself went to that area bringing along with him food and medicines.
However, this relief was rather short-lived. Apart from these deficiencies, the
residents? housing is also very unhealthy and clean water is difficult to obtain. The
governor declared to the mass media that he would take care that better houses
would be built for them and that the village of Wawasa would be totally reconstructed.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
