East Timor: Humanitarian Emergency and International Assistance (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Nov. 5, 1999 |
| Report Number |
RS20360 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Lois B. McHugh, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
Following a vote for independence from Indonesia on August 30, violence and property
destruction
by anti-independence militias forced many East Timorese from their homes.
(1) Failure by the
Indonesian military to contain the violence finally forced the Indonesian government to allow
international intervention. INTERFET, the U.N. international force for East Timor began arriving
the weekend of September 18 and humanitarian workers came with them. The humanitarian
programs are still evolving as the population begins to return, and reconstruction needs are still being
assessed. This short report provides background on the crisis, looks at the assistance needs, and the
U.S. response. It will be updated as the situation develops. (2)
1. Â For information on this crisis, see CRS report RS20332,
East Timor Crisis: U.S. Policy and Options . For
information on the U.S. military role, see CRS Issue Brief 94040, Peacekeeping: Issues of U.S.
Military
Involvement .
2. Â This report draws on information from several web sites which
provide daily updates on the situation in
East Timor. These include web sites of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
(www.unhcr.ch/news/media/timor/latest.htm) and the United Nation's Relief Web
(www.reliefweb.int). U.S.
Assistance reports, voluntary agency activities, press coverage, and U.N. situation reports are all
available
on the Reliefweb site.
