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Long term solution for refugees sought
Even though refugees have disappeared from the sidewalk one of Jakarta’s main roads, the problem remains, with the Jakarta administration calling for medium and long term solutions for the more than 1,000 refugees it currently houses.
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Refugees sit on a sidewalk in Kebon Sirih, Jakarta, recently. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
E
ven though refugees have disappeared from the sidewalk of one of Jakarta’s main roads, the problem remains, with the Jakarta administration calling for medium and long term solutions for the more than 1,000 refugees it currently houses.
Since late June, dozens of refugees camped for weeks in front of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, to demand progress in their applications to be resettled in a third country. On July 10, the Jakarta administration finally allowed them to take shelter in one of its buildings in Kalideres, West Jakarta.
Jakarta Social Agency head Irmansyah said that, as of Friday, the Kalideres building housed as many as 1,429 refugees from 12 countries, with 1,100 of them from Afghanistan.
He said his office had also established a public kitchen near the West Jakarta mayor's office, while other local agencies provided services, with water operators PDAM and Palyja providing running water, the Environment Agency providing sanitation and the Public Facility Maintenance Agency (PPSU) helping to clean the building.
“We’re doing whatever possible. It’s been 10 days now, and while we are not going to stop anytime soon, we’re hoping that we can get additional support from philanthropists for food, water and diapers,” Irmansyah told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
He estimated his agency had disbursed at least Rp 50 million (US$3,591) per day to feed the refugees at the temporary shelter.
“This is way beyond what is provisioned under the 2016 decree because we not only coordinate with the UNHCR but also provide the necessary supplies, especially food,” he said.
