EMBARGOED TO THE MEDIA UNTIL TUESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2003, 1100 HRS NEW YORK TIME

Indonesia

CONSOLIDATED INTER-AGENCY APPEAL

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Executive Summary

Remarkable strides have been made in recovering from the impact of years of communal conflicts that have affected the lives of millions of people and caused the deaths of about 10,000 people, the displacement of some 1.4 million people, and widespread property destruction.

The Government of the Republic of Indonesia (GoRI) announced in September 2001 a policy on return, local integration (“empowerment”), or resettlement of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), due to be completed at the end of 2002. The policy has had its timeframe extended several times, and ended in December 2003. The year 2003 was marked by a significant decline in the number of IDPs from 1.4 million to a maximum of 535,000 people by mid-2003. As the numbers continue to decline, the Government has announced that central funding for IDPs will no longer be available after 2003, and that the remaining IDPs should be reclassified as “vulnerable people,” although their classification as IDPs will continue to apply for the purpose of this Consolidated Appeal (CA).

The Strategic Goals for 2004 included in this CA reflect the hope that the situation in conflict-affected areas will continue to improve. The strategic goals will therefore focus on building the capacities of the GoRI at both central and local level to prevent future conflicts, to find durable solutions to the remaining crises, and to ensure that the rights of the affected people are respected.

Experience during the last two years has shown that the government’s efforts are most successful when complemented by assistance from international humanitarian actors. The projects of United Nations (UN) and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for infrastructure, water and sanitation, health, education, and income generation, including the restoration of agricultural production, have at the same time contributed to reconciliation, conflict prevention, and the consolidation of return and resettlement.

A concerted effort during the course of 2004 should make it possible for the remaining IDPs and conflict-affected populations in most of the country to establish sustainable livelihood bases and for humanitarian partners to shift their focus from emergency assistance to recovery and longer-term development. The inclusion of conflict prevention, post conflict recovery, and peace building as one of the themes of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) for Indonesia should ensure that the progress achieved is sustained in the future.

A special situation prevails in the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (Aceh) where a combined security and humanitarian operation is underway, and where the Government has declared a state of military emergency. The international humanitarian community remains prepared to provide assistance to the province as soon as the situation is deemed conducive for foreign aid.

The international humanitarian community in Indonesia considers that this is likely to be the last CA for the country as a whole, barring unforeseen events. A generous response to this Appeal is hoped for to bring about a successful conclusion of the immediate and pressing problems that have beset many areas of the country over the last four years. The Appeal includes 70 projects, reaching an estimated 2-3 million beneficiaries, of whom 400,000 were still IDPs at the beginning of 2004 while the rest are people otherwise affected by the conflicts. The total funding required for the 82 projects is US$ 43.2 million.