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Humanitarian and food crisis escalates in East Timor
The crisis in East Timor has left thousands of people dead and hundreds of thousands more have been forced to flee to hills and forests to seek refuge, according to a Special Alert released by the FAO Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS). More than a quarter of the population, some 250 000 people, are reported to be cut off from food supplies and drinking water and are at risk of starvation. According to the report, released Tuesday 14 September, "Although the numbers affected are changing fast, current estimates put the number of deaths at 7 000 in addition to around 100 000 who have been forcibly relocated to West Timor." Some 300 000 to 400 000 people have been internally displaced. "The fate of thousands more is unknown".
The current wave of violence intensifed after the majority of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia in a referendum on 30 August. Escalating civil unrest and killings in the region are preventing urgent food and medical supplies from being transported to areas and population groups in need. Even if the security situation improves immediately, it will be difficult to provide necessary humanitarian assistance because of the difficult terrain and a break down in transport and communications systems. Even before the outbreak of violence, the region's economy and its agriculture sector were poorly developed and largely dependent on maize and rice production. Maize yields are around 1.8 tonnes per hectare compared with up to some 2.5 tonnes per hectare on adjacent islands. Paddy yields, on average 2.6 tonnes per hectare, are also lower than in other nearby rice-producing areas, where yields reach 4.5 tonnes per hectare. Most of 1990s - with the exception of the 1995-96 season - have been marked by unfavourable weather conditions, which had already placed a heavy burden on the majority of smallholder farmers. The food situation in the region had been especially tight following a serious El Niño-related drought in 1998, which significantly reduced cereal production and farm stocks. "Although the precise number of vulnerable people and food needs cannot be determined at this stage, there is little doubt that large-scale food and agricultural rehabilitation assistance will be needed as soon as the security situation improves to allow humanitarian operations," concluded the Special Alert. FAO will continue to monitor the situation closely. 15 September 1999 Related links |
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