Health: East Timor's first nation-wide
immunisation campaign since the 30 August 1999 ballot, was launched
on 1 March by UNICEF and its partner organisations. Although medical
NGOs, supported by UNICEF, have inoculated 50,000 children against
measles, the launch of this programme re-establishes the routine immunisation
programme. Through this immunisation campaign, some 20,000 children
will be protected against measles, tuberculosis, polio, tetanus, diphtheria
and pertussis and will be available through the NGO-run clinics. In
preparation for the campaign, UNICEF has put in place cold chain
facilities (refrigerators and freezers which run on kerosene, as
well as cold-boxes, vaccine carriers and ice packs), disposable syringes
and vaccines in each of the 13 Districts. In addition,UNICEF will
send teams of trained vaccinators to all Districts to distribute vaccines
and also to ensure that health workers implement the programme through
the mobile clinics.
Capacity Building: IOM has launched
a programme to encourage 300 qualified East Timorese nationals to
return to East Timor. The three-year programme, called Return
of Qualified Nationals (RQN) plans to assist 300 skilled East Timorese
nationals and their families to return home by matching their skills with
job vacancies that cannot be filled locally and by paying their travel
costs. The programme targets both the public and private sectors
with a view to capacity building through the reintegration of fully
equipped professionals into the economy. The programme also includes
a self-employment option designed to attract entrepreneurs. Assistance
will include organised and paid transport for selected candidates
and their families, an installation grant, a salary subsidy and an equipment
grant to provide candidates with equipment needed to perform their tasks.
Recruitment of candidates will be conducted through IOM's offices
in Australia, Portugal, Indonesia, Hong Kong (covering Macau) and
later on in Mozambique, the USA and elsewhere.
Education: Viqueque District
has thus far received 35 of it's allocated 50 "School in a Box"
kits. The remaining 15 kits intended for the District will be delivered
from Dili shortly. A total of 16 recreation kits and 12 teacher
kits have also been
distributed in the district.
Through January 2000, UNICEF funded and enacted payments of teachers in the Ambeno enclave. However, as of last week, UNTAET supervised the first salary distribution to some 150 teachers.
Returns: On 29 February, an IOM land convoy repatriated some 242 persons from Atambua to Batugade. Despite continued insecurity at the border with West Timor, a record 1,885 refugees crossed spontaneously into the Ambeno enclave on 1 March. In organised movements, 95 persons crossed from West Timor to the Ambeno enclave, 242 persons from Atambua to Batugade, 64 persons from Atambua to Suai and 20 persons from Betun to Ainaro (via Suai) on IOM-chartered trucks. In secondary movements, a total of 289 persons were transported to their final destinations in Ermera (50), Aileu (135), Ainaro (4), Liquica (3), Manatuto (12) and to remote areas in Dili (85). The total number of returnees at the Dili transit centre is now 133. As of 1 March, some 149,055 persons have returned to East Timor from West Timor, other parts of Indonesia and Australia in organized air, land and sea movements.
Shelter: As part of the ongoing UNHCR implemented shelter programme, a barge with 200 MTs and ten MI26 helicopter deliveries totalling 150 MTs of construction materials have now been delivered to Betano for Timor Aid run activities in forty villages in Manufahi District. In addition, 59 truckloads of sand have been delivered to sub-villages for use in burned houses.