Aust commander rejects E Timor humanitarian crisis claim

The commander of Australian troops in East Timor has disputed claims by aid agencies that the country is facing a humanitarian crisis.

World Vision chief Tim Costello has questioned whether there are enough troops in East Timor to control gangs of looters.

He also says there is a risk of starvation.

Brigadier Slater says the East Timorese Army is cooperating by remaining in their barracks and there has been no shooting in the streets for 24 hours.

He says rebel army members are also cooperating, and police who had been hiding out in the hills around Dili are returning to their barracks.

"I cannot agree with anything that I heard Tim Costello say and he and I sat down yesterday and had a lengthy discussion," he told Channel 9.

"The evidence of the effectiveness of the task force is seen in the streets. Yesterday was a real turning point, it really was, the people here are being very cooperative, the leaders here are starting to work together."

Authorities in East Timor are appealing to tens of thousands of displaced people to begin returning home.

Troop numbers

More than 1,000 Australian troops are stationed in East Timor, and Brigadier Slater says he has sufficient resources to cope with the situation, including problems with civilian gangs.

"I've certainly got enough troops here to do the security job that I came to do," he said.

"If I was to be given jobs in addition to security jobs then I might have to re-look at the numbers I have, but I've certainly got enough at the moment."

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer says it is unlikely Australia will need to send more troops to East Timor.

"We don't at this stage need any more troops so I don't think that is likely, it's possible, but I don't think that's likely," he said.

"We really have to act on the advice of the commander, Brigadier Mick Slater, on the ground there and Brigadier Slater at this stage is saying he's got enough troops."

Relief effort

Brigadier Slater has also told aid agencies to get on with their job of providing support.

"The situation here is such that the aid agencies can get on and do their job, and the humanitarian situation is not that bad," he said.

"It will get bad if we don't get the security sorted out first."

Dozens of temporary camps are struggling to cope with the strain.

All over Dili, thousands of families are crammed into compounds, sleeping under tarpaulins or on the ground - cooking what food they have on open fires.

Most are too scared to venture home since the weekend violence, when armed gangs rampaged through the city destroying houses and attacking residents.

Australian soldiers have confiscated hundreds of weapons and at least 50 separate patrols are on the streets.

Scores of East Timorese police who had fled to the hills have now returned and surrendered their weapons.