With new flooding in West Timor affecting 100,000 of the internally displaced people (IDPs), the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is carrying out a two-month emergency relief program for thousands of people who are resettling their families, by providing them with shelter, water and sanitation.

“According to reports in Atambua, 43 people have died, including 24 children, 20,000 people have been displaced, and 100 homes were destroyed,” says Elie Gasagara, ADRA West Timor project director. “Along with the flood, various roads and bridges were cut off, which is expected to affect humanitarian operations.”

ADRA is targeting its assistance to IDPs in Malaka Tengah and Malaka Barat in Betun sub-district, and it will focus on specific locations where the people are being resettled, “which is being determined by the government,” adds Gasagara. ADRA’s assistance is being funded mainly by donations from the United States and Australia.

With a critical need for emergency shelters, ADRA is working to build 500 temporary shelters, with assistance from the recipient families. ADRA is providing all the necessary building tools (plastic sheets, wood, etc.) and is also providing 1,000 blankets to help protect them from flood-related diseases.

ADRA is providing up to 60,000 liters (15,600 gallons) of clean water each day in various locations, as well as providing sanitary facilities in coordination with Médecins Sans Frontières Belgium (MSF_Doctors Without Borders) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). ADRA already completed a shelter and food distribution program and supplementary feeding program for thousands of refugees from East Timor after they fled to West Timor in September of 1999.