UN and Timor-Leste appeal for additional funds to aid displaced

The United Nations and the Government of Timor-Leste have appealed for almost $18 million in additional funds to address the ongoing humanitarian needs of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Southeast Asian nation for the rest of this year.

The UN’s Deputy Special Representative in Timor-Leste, Finn Reske-Nielsen, and Prime Minister Estanislau da Silva officially launched the Consolidated Appeal (CAP) Mid-year Review for the country at a ceremony today in Dili.

“There is no short term solution to the internal displacement situation in Timor-Leste, therefore we need to design our assistance programs with a medium term perspective,” said Mr. Reske-Nielsen, who is also the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the small nation of the nation which the world body shepherded to independence in 2002.

Some $16 million had been requested in the original CAP for January to June 2007 which was launched at the beginning of this year. The revision brings the total appeal for humanitarian projects in Timor-Leste from January to December 2007 to $34.2 million. To date, 46 per cent of these requirements have been met.

The money will fund over 50 projects in ten sectors, namely, agriculture, camp management, coordination, economic recovery, education, food, health, protection, shelter, and water and sanitation.

The CAP is the international community’s most important tool for raising resources for humanitarian action.

Last week, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, launched the Mid-Year Review of the CAP for 2007 in Geneva. Six months after the launch of the global Humanitarian Appeal 2007, the UN, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and 220 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) still require $2.5 billion to respond to the world’s most severe crises.