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Refugee Camps
The Indonesians forced to flee from homes
and villages have found safety and shelter in several refugee
camps in North Sulawesi and Halmahera. These cramped and
overcrowded centers offer a short term solution for urgent
shelter needs. The refugees are grateful to find a place
of safety. The concentration of refugees exists in three
primary areas:
- The Manado region has been the haven for over 40,000
refugees over the last few years of this crisis. There
were eight refugee camps in the region. The refugee camps
in this area are gradually closing as the Indonesian government
seeks to send the refugees back to their home Islands.
The refugees from the regions that are still dangerous
will seek shelter in the remaining camps or are going
to resettlement areas. This is a very uncertain and fearful
time for many of these refugees. It is hard to say at
this point how many are still in the camps and how many
have left for their home islands. According to the Sulawesi
Crisis Center there remains about 10,000 in refugee camps
and resettlement sites--those remaining are the old, sick,
widowed, mentally and emotionally ill, and single parents
with children.
- In the Tobelo vicinity there are approximately 10,000
refugees in refugee camps. This area still has some potential
problems but many of the refugees are seeking to return
to their homes and start over again. A number of these
refugees are from the island of Morotai, which has received
attacks on their villages in early 2003.
- Tentena, in central Sulawesi, holds approximately 28,000
refugees, some of which are slowly dispersing as they
attempt to return to rebuild their homes and villages.
IFC seeks a long-term housing solution for the refugees
in cooperation with other agencies and local and regional
governments.
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