U.N. Sets up Five Bodies in Maluku, IndonesiaIn an effort to help solve prolonged communal conflicts in Indonesia's Maluku province, the United Nations has been operating five representative offices in Ambon, capital of the province.The U.N. has opened representative offices of the U.N. Development Program (UNDP), World Food Program (WFP), World Health Organization (WHO), U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Ambon in July. The general tasks of the five U.N. bodies are to monitor all humanitarian assistance given by international institutions, provide accurate information on the latest situation in the riot-torn province, and give advocacy to victims of the prolonged communal conflicts, said a U.N. statement here Monday. The UNDP, in cooperation with local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), has given assistance to victims of the conflicts by helping the refugees rebuild their houses and make ends meet. The UNICEF and WFP, in coordination with a foreign NGO 'the Action Contre la Faim (ACF)', as well as local family welfare improvement organizations, have distributed infant food and rice to the needy. The WHO and the local health office have administered polio and measles vaccinations, provided clean water and sanitation, and given assistance to women and children suffering from traumas due to the communal conflicts. OCHA has provided training in human rights affairs. Maluku saw nearly two years of communal bloodshed involving Muslims and Christians. Thousands of lives from both sides were claimed and hundreds of thousands took refuge to the neighboring provinces. The central government has imposed a civilian emergency to the province since June this year in a bid to put an end to the bloodshed which has raised international concerns. |
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