There is a need to return the remaining
East Timorese displaced in West Timor and elsewhere in Indonesia to their
communities of origin 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
Today, IOM repatriated by land and sea a total of 933 people to East Timor
A total of 398 refugees were repatriated by land from Laktutus (WT) to Fato Mean (ET) with 22 IOM leased trucks. They will be taken to their final destination, Buburfehan, located some 10 km from the border crossing at Fato Mean. IOM Dili provided secondary transport for East Timorese returnees from Dili to Suai for 51 persons. They are travelling in a convoy of five IOM trucks, which will be stationed permanently in Suai to provide secondary transportation to returnees to their places of origin. A second convoy picked up 216 refugees from camps in the vicinity of Betun .All returnees were taken to the Wala border crossing and then on to Suai.
An IOM chartered ferry arrived in Dili from Kupang with 319 returnees on board.
Over the weekend, one land movement took place on 18 December, from Atambua to Batugade with 171 returnees on board IOM leased trucks. IOM Dili provided secondary transportation on 18 and 19 December for East Timorese returnees to Liquica, Maliana, Dili, Atabaya, Ermera, Manatutu, Aileu, Baucau and Laga.
As of 20 December, IOM has organized the return by land, sea and air of 71,221 East Timorese from West Timor, from other parts of Indonesia and from Australia. So far, close to 125,000 people have returned in an organized or in a spontaneous way to East Timor.
Total returns by land
To date, IOM has returned 29,881 East Timorese by land from West Timor.
Total returns by sea
To date, IOM has returned 29,309 East Timorese by sea from
West Timor and from other parts of Indonesia
Total returns by air
To date, IOM has returned 7,354 East Timorese from Kupang to Dili and 3,908 from other parts of Indonesia.
A total of 771 East Timorese have so far been returned by IOM from Australia.
Funding
IOM has made an appeal to the international community for US$25,565,000 for its Timor activities. This includes US$23,250,000 for the return assistance of displaced people to East Timor. So far a total of US$6,678,525 have been pledged by Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, the Netherlands and ECHO. IOM currently faces a shortfall of US$18,886,481.
Copyrights =AE 1999 International Organization for Migration. All rights reserved.
International Organization for Migration
(IOM)
17 Route des Morillons * C.P. 71 * CH-1211 Geneva 19 * Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-7179111 * Fax: 41-22-7986150 * Email: info@iom.int