MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Downer
Australia will provide a further $4 million to meet the food, medical and other humanitarian needs of thousands of internally displaced people in East Timor.
This latest commitment brings to $8 million our total contribution to East Timor during the current period of civil unrest.
Through our international aid agency AusAID, we will provide another $2 million to the World Food Programme to help it maintain rations for the estimated 150,000 IDPs in Dili and the Districts.
We will give $630,000 to non-government organisations including CARE Australia, Oxfam, CARITAS and AUSTCARE for food distribution, peace building and reconciliation and protection.
The United Nations Development Programme will receive $500,000 for their work to reduce tensions through improved communications via radios and newspapers in the IDP camps.
UNDP and the International Labour Organization will receive $500,000 for a labour-intensive work scheme.
We will provide $250,000 to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) which is managing the situation on the ground.
And $120,000 will be provided towards much-needed medical supplies for Dili Hospital.
Australia is committed to providing aid to those with the greatest need through organisations on the ground.
We welcome warmly the international community's commitment to East Timor so far - it is vital that this support does not waver.
Media inquiries:
Tony Parkinson (Minister's Office) 0409 536 410
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590