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job for the UNHCR office. They are also given assistanc
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by the PNG authorities through the Department of
Provincial Affairs whose office undertakes to distribute
food and medical supplies (on behalf of UNHCR).
local Government hospital, in concert with missionary hospitals, has also undertaken a programme of health care
which should result in health visits to each camp about
every four weeks.
3. The refugees have few spokesmen for their cause.
Some members of the various Church bodies interested have
taken up their case, but on the whole they are left to
fend for themselves.
4. UNHCR officers try their best within their
restricted means to ascertain the refugees' needs.
5. The UNHCR office in Port Moresby has a fairly good
relationship with the host government, and welcomed the
wingti Government's move, early in 1986, to get to grips
with the problem, left to worsen by the previous
government. Refugees' training needs have not so far
become apparent, so no representations have ever been made to encourage the inclusion of refugees in training
programmes.
Assistance Programmes
6. There does appear to be scope for improvement in
the UNHCR's office plans. The first improvement would be
to strengthen the office with additional staff. A further
improvement would be to try to persuade those refugees
who refuse to be voluntarily repatriated to Irian Jaya,
to be gathered together in one single camp further from
the border region to cut down on the cost of transport
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