Appeal from Forgotten Refugees Support Circle
We currently support 70 adults and 40 children in Jakarta at a cost of ~$8000 per month (a doubling of cost since June when another wave of refugees camping in front of the UNHCR were threatened with detention). We rapidly responded and stretched ourselves to support them. As such with the current number of people we are supporting we will run out of reserves in October.
Our immediate dilemma is how to continue support to these otherwise destitute refugees. You can help by making a donation (indicate donation is for Forgotten Refugees Circle (Circle 139).
Jakarta is a city of great contrasts and is the largest city in the world (Greater Jakarta has a population of ~48 million) with all the trappings of a rapidly developing nation. I was amazed by the view from the roof-top of our hotel when I last visited in July last year. The Jakarta skyline is dominated by all the major international banks and financial institutions.
Living in the shadows without support or work rights are a community of refugees from many of the well-known conflicts in Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. Since mid-2024 we have visited annually and with the help of friends sought to house and provide a meagre allowance to give dignity to this cohort of otherwise unsupported refugees.
Our committed monthly donor income is now generally about $3600, having sadly lost a key supporter who died suddenly in late July. Carol communicated regularly and directly with people she supported through the Circle and elsewhere in Pakistan and Cox’s Bazar. She is sadly missed by the refugee community as by her friends. Whilst it is not appropriate to focus on her loss in financial terms, she regularly supported us at $900/month.
We now have a gap between donor income and costs of a bit over $4k/month. To date we have been meeting this shortfall by drawing down on our reserve funds raised through our Circle launch event in May plus June end of financial year campaign.Still we are now on track to run out of reserves in October.
We are looking at ways to reduce our costs by renting large houses or other buildings that refugees can share. If we cannot both significantly increase our support base and reduce costs we will have no option but to return many of these people back to the street. This is not a decision we will take lightly but endeavour to continue providing a small food allowance.
Can you help to sustain this important work? Make a donation now.
For more information or to join please contact us via Ralph.