On March 28, the Government of Japan has decided on emergency grant aid totaling about 44 million yen to assist displaced persons and returnees of East Timor. This grant assistance will be extended to five Japanese non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which are providing the vulnerable persons with medical, food production and educational assistance, in response to their applications.
Thanks to the restoration of security
and the activities of international humanitarian organizations, more than
150,000 displaced persons have returned to East Timor. Nevertheless, they
are still forced to live in difficult conditions because of the wrecked
basic infrastructure and for other reasons. Therefore, it is vitally important
to rehabilitate such public facilities as schools, and to restore agricultural
productivity in the earliest possible time for improvement of the living
environment of the returnees, and for promotion of their resettlement and
self-support.
In addition to that, about 100,000 displaced persons are still staying
in refugee camps with very poor hygienic and sanitary conditions in West
Timor. It is therefore necessary to improve their living environment through
nutrition and medical activities.