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 4, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 442
1. INVESTING THE MOLUCCAS - According to Antara News Agency, the Indonesian
government has called on private business companies and the public to make an
investment in the provinces of the Moluccas and North Moluccas. "The government
has issued Presidential Instruction No 6 of 2004 on economic, social, political and
infrastructure recovery in the two provinces for the promotion of social welfare of the
people in the two areas," State Minister for Accelerated Development of Eastern
Provinces Manuel Kasiepo said. He said thus the people will be able to restore
economic and business activities, from which they will earn an income to improve
their standard of living and welfare.
2. GOVERNMENT TO REHABILITATE THOUSANDS OF HOUSES - According to
Antara News Agency, Minister for Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah declared that the
Indonesian government will soon rehabilitate 37,115 houses that have been damaged
or burned during the conflict since 1999. He said the government had allocated
hundreds of billion rupiahs for the project so that those who had been displaced as
refugees could immediately live and work normally in their own homes. State minister
for Accelerated Development of Eastern Provinces Manuel Kaisiepo said the
government had budgeted one trillion Rupiahs for social and infrastructural
rehabilitation projects in the Moluccas,and 650 billion rupiahs for the North Moluccas.
3. OCHA UPDATE ON HUMANITARIAN AID - The UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports in its May Update that according to the
Moluccas government, the recent conflict (since April 25, 2004) has caused some
10,000 new displacements and destruction of 847 houses. However, the Indonesian
Red Cross puts the number of IDPs at 4,000. Also four schools including a UNDP
funded reconciliation school were destroyed or badly damaged. The Provincial
Government, several NGOs and ICRC/Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) provided relief and
medical supplies to the affected population. The Central Government has allocated 33
billion Rupiahs (USD 3.8 million) to the Moluccas to address the immediate needs of
the displaced population (food, medicine and shelter) and rehabilitation of
infrastructure. Many of these people have been displaced for a number of times and
lost their belongings time and again. They will continue relying on the assistance
programmes for some time to come. The central government has already allocated
IDR 33 billion (USD 3.8 million) to address the immediate needs of IDPs and
rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure. Several international NGOs and ICRC/PMI
also provided emergency food, non-food and medical assistance to the conflict
affected population.
4. UN STAFF PONDERS TO RETURN TO AMBON - A team of UN Field Security
Unit (FSU), Jakarta is visiting Ambon since May 27, 2004, to evaluate the situation
particularly for a possible return of UN staff and resumption of activities. The visiting
FSU team recommended the return of 68 UN staff and their immediate family
members relocated in Jakarta since the end of April. Office equipment, records and
belongings of OCHA, UNICEF, WHO, UNDP, and UNSECOORD accommodated in
the UN Project Coordination Office (UNPCO) have been destroyed at the onset of the
recent conflict. Therefore, full and immediate resumption of UN activities will be
difficult and staff may face additional difficulties to access the divided communities.
MSF-B remained in the city throughout the troubled period while other INGOs, namely
SC-UK, CARDI, JRS, ICMC, IMC and Mercy Corps, relocated their staff temporarily
but have now resumed their activities in the province.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
