European Commission allocates €3 million for victims of internal conflict in Timor Leste

The European Commission has allocated €3 million in humanitarian aid for up to 140,000 people displaced by the recent violence in Timor Leste and for their host families. The funds will be used to meet their most basic needs for a period of 6 months. All funds are channeled through the Commission's department for Humanitarian Aid, ECHO, under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.

The violence led to the displacement of nearly 140,000 people who left their homes in the capital Dili, representing up to 15% of the country's total population. Around 70,000 of the displaced are surviving in improvised, makeshift camps in and around Dili, while up to 70,000 other people have fled to rural areas, mostly staying with host families and friends. The looting of warehouses, shops and business leaves the population with very little access to food and other supplies.

As Commissioner Louis Michel emphasised, "the European Commission has assisted Timor Leste these past years with humanitarian and development aid and we will of course contribute to meeting the most basic needs of the population affected by this terrible outbreak of violence."

Through its Humanitarian Aid department the European Commission is therefore providing relief aid in the form of food, shelter, access to clean water and proper sanitation systems, health care and kitchen sets, but also psycho-social support for the children. Some of the camps will be relocated and security issues in particular with regard to women in children will be taken into account in their design. Projects will be implemented by UNHCR, WFP, World Vision (DE) and PLAN International.

The European Commission has been addressing humanitarian needs in Timor Leste, created by the internal conflict in the wake of the 1999 referendum, with € 39 million. Since 2003 and in response the alarming level of malnutrition across the country, an additional aid of €6 million has been committed.

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• Timor-Leste: EU Commission supports stabilisation (6/10/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Security Council: Debate on Timor-Leste (15/8/2006)
• European Commission welcomes the appointment of José Ramos-Horta as the new Prime Minister of Timor-Leste (12/7/2006)
• European Commission allocates €18 million to Timor Leste (19/5/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Security Council Public Meeting on Timor-Leste (5/5/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - UN Security Council Public Meeting on UN Office in Timor-Leste  (23/1/2006)