There is a continuing need to return up
to 120,000 displaced persons in West Timor to their communities of origin
in East Timor, in order for rehabilitation, reconstruction and development
to begin. The safe and orderly return transportation of displaced persons
is the responsibility of IOM by agreement and in close co-operation with
UNHCR.
Summary
Over the last three days, IOM has provided overland return assistance to a total of 385 East Timorese. On 15 January, IOM repatriated 150 East Timorese from camps in the region of Betun to the Wala border crossing point. On 17 January, 157 refugees were transported from Atambua to Batugade. On 18 January, IOM organized two land convoys, one from Atambua to Batugade (56 returnees) and another between Betun and Suai (21returnees). All convoys were escorted to the border crossing points by Indonesian military (TNI)
News of weekend disturbances in Dili appears to be affecting numbers of returnees from Atambua and Betun.
On 18 January, IOM provided secondary transportation to returnees from Dili to Los Palos (117), to Maobisse (15) and to Ainoro (5).
As of 18 January 2000, IOM has organised the return by land, sea and air of 81,676 East Timorese from West Timor, from other parts of Indonesia and from Australia. Over the last three months, close to 130,000 refugees have returned voluntarily in an organized or spontaneous way to East Timor,
Total returns by land
To date, IOM has returned 36,886 East Timorese by land from West Timor.
Total returns by sea
To date, IOM has returned 32,272 East Timorese by sea from West Timor and from other parts of Indonesia
Total returns by air
To date, IOM has returned 7,793 East Timorese from Kupang to Dili and 3,912 from other parts of Indonesia.
A total of 813 East Timorese have so far been returned by IOM from Australia.
Funding
IOM has received support from the international community to fund its Timor activities. Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and ECHO financed IOM's return movements to East Timor totalling US$ 13,710,988.
Now that the emergency phase is winding down, efforts are concentrated on post-conflict rehabilitation through a range of interrelated projects such as the return of qualified nationals, reintegration of demobilized combatants, mobile information and referral services, community based rehabilitation and migration management capacity building. These activities form an integral part of the international humanitarian communities' response to the crisis.