Surviving the crisis in East Timor: Anna Maria Soares tells of how Concern is helping her
Wednesday, 19 July 2006
Anna Maria Soares is 23 years old. She lives in Dili, the capital of East Timor, and earns her living as a street vendor. When the fighting in East Timor started at the end of May, Anna Maria and her family evacuated from their home. Along with many other residents of Dili they sought refuge at the residence of the Foreign Minister, Jose Ramos Horta. People were not allowed inside the residence, so camped outside with whatever they had brought with them.
Anna Maria is pregnant, and for two weeks she slept outside in the open air, with only a mosquito net as her bedding.
"I think and ask myself why these sorts of incidents takes place", she says. "I wanted to go home, but I am frightened."
Concern carried out an assessment in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the camp that had sprung up around the Foreign Ministers residence. The aim was to find out what people’s greatest needs were, and how best to assist them.
Within two days of the assessment people were given relief items such as tents, mats, mosquito nets, soap, rice and cooking oil. Clean water and latrines were also provided. Anna Maria is relieved that Concern has helped her to cope in this terrible situation, now she wants to be able to go home and feel safe.
"Concern is the organisation that provided us with the humanitarian aid we needed. Now I ask organisations to work with the government to normalise the situation so that we can go home, and there will be no more fighting and murdering."
