Government of China & UNICEF collaborate to support communities impacted by floods

Dili, 19 February 2024 – The Government of China and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have launched a US$1.5 million project to complement the Government of Timor-Leste’s support to communities that get impacted by floods. 

Through the project “Emergency support to children in response to floods and COVID-19 in Timor-Leste”,  146,000 people affected by the floods, will access quality nutrition, education and water and sanitation services, which will help in their recovery from the damage caused by the floods.

The most devasting floods in the recent history of Timor-Leste were in April 2021, which came against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, and affected all 13 municipalities in Timor-Leste, with the capital Dili and the surrounding low-lying areas being the worst affected. Forty-Eight (48) people lost their lives, more than 30,367 households were affected and cut off from clean water sources, while learning activities were disrupted as 34 schools and the teachers training center were damaged.  

According to Government estimates, the total damage and loss due to the April 2021 floods is US$ 307.7million. Despite the ongoing efforts on the part of the Government and partners, affected communities continue to need recovery assistance, especially related to nutrition, water, hygiene and sanitation, and education.

“The Chinese government has closely followed and constantly supported the development of Timor-Leste, engaging in close cooperation with Timor-Leste in the fields of infrastructure, health, agriculture and education. This emergency support project, jointly implemented with the UNICEF office in Timor-Leste, involves a considerable amount of funding and a longer project duration, covering major cities throughout the country. The project is expected to benefit around 150,000 children and women, aiming to provide tangible assistance for their lives and education. We also hoped that through this project, people in Timor-Leste could receive the support and encouragement from friendly countries like China.” said H.E. Wang Wenli, Chinese Ambassador to Timor-Leste.

From the onset of the flooding, UNICEF has been working closely with the Government of Timor-Leste, to respond to the urgent needs of children and families in the areas of water and sanitation, nutrition, and education.  Under this 18-month support from the Government of China, UNICEF will continue its support to the Government of Timor-Leste to respond to the effects of the floods, while also supporting communities to fully recover and be more resilient to future disasters.   

In four municipalities, Dili, Ainaro, Ermera and Baucau, 83,000 children will be reached with critical nutrition services and 34,000 pregnant women will be supported with counselling services on nutrition and breastfeeding. Supporting access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), 10,000 persons (2,000 houses) from these municipalities will be reached with improved WASH services. In education, the project will reach 24,449 children, who will benefit from improved school environments in 34 schools in Dili, Baucau, Lautem, Liquica and Manufahi.

“Recovery in the aftermath of floods requires a long-term response as affected communities are already struggling with multiple vulnerabilities in health, nutrition, education, and water and sanitation, even before the floods hit. UNICEF appreciates this support from the Government of China, which will contribute to building back basic social services for children and families, while also supporting the setting up of disaster risk reduction mechanisms to mitigate against the impact of future weather events,” said UNICEF Country Representative, Bilal Zeb Aurang Durrani.  

Many countries in the East Asia and the Pacific region, including Timor-Leste are faced with multiple, often overlapping climate and environmental hazards and shocks such as heavy rains and flooding. This causes risks to the lives of children and their families. Within the framework of the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, the Government of China is supporting UNICEF offices in Timor-Leste and Laos to provide life-saving assistance to children and families affected by climate-induced emergencies, such as floods. 

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For more information, please contact: 

Embassy of China media contact person:  
• Xi Wang, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Timor Leste, Mobile number - +670 78174297; Email address - tl@mofcom.gov.cn 

UNICEF:
• Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org 
• Antonio Gomes, UNICEF Communications Officer, Mobile number - +670 77232441; Email address - angomez@unicef.org 

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Tetun:

Governu Xina & UNICEF kolabora hamutuk hodi suporta komunidade sira ne'ebé hetan impaktu husi inundasaun.

Dili, 19 Fevereiru 2024 - Governu Xina no Fundu Nasoins Unidas ba Labarik (UNICEF) lansa ona projetu ida ho valór millaun US$1.5 hodi kompleta apoiu Governu Timor-Leste nian ba komunidade sira ne'ebé hetan impaktu husi inundasaun.

Liu husi projetu "Asistensia Emerjensia ba labarik sira hodi hatán ba inundasaun no COVID-19 iha Timor-Leste," ema na'in 146,000 ne'ebé afetadu husi inundasaun, sei asesu ba kualidade nutrisaun, edukasaun no servisu bee no saneamentu, ne'ebé sei ajuda atu rekupera husi estragus ne'ebé kauza husi inundasaun.

Inundasaun barak liu iha Timor-Leste nia istória foin lalais ne'e mak iha fulan-abril tinan 2021, ne'ebé akontese hasoru pandemia COVID-19 nia kotuk, no afeta munisípiu 13 hotu iha Timor-Leste, ho kapitál Dili no área sira ne'ebé hale'u área ki'ik sira ne'ebé hetan impaktu aat liu. Ema na'in hamutuk na'in 40 lakon sira-nia moris, uma-kain 30,367 liu mak hetan impaktu no hasai tiha husi bee moos, enkuantu atividade aprendizajen lakon tanba eskola 34 no sentru formasaun ba profesór sira hetan estragus.

Tuir estimativa Governu nian, totál estragus no lakon tanba inundasaun iha fulan Abril 2021 mak millaun US$307.7. Maski Governu no parseiru sira kontinua haka'as an nafatin, komunidade sira ne'ebé afetadu kontinua presiza asisténsia rekuperasaun, liuliu relasiona ho nutrisaun, bee, ijiene no saneamentu, no edukasaun.

"Governu Xina kontinua fó apoiu ba dezenvolvimentu Timor-Leste nian, hodi envolve iha kooperasaun besik ho Timor-Leste iha área infraestrutura, saúde, agrikultura no edukasaun. Projetu apoiu emerjénsia ida-ne'e, ne'ebé implementa hamutuk ho edifísiu UNICEF nian iha Timor-Leste, envolve fundu barak no durasaun projetu ne'ebé naruk liu, ne'ebé kobre sidade boot sira iha nasaun laran tomak. Projetu ne'e hein katak sei hetan benefísiu maizumenus labarik no feto na'in 150,000, ho objetivu atu fó asisténsia tanjivel ba sira-nia moris no edukasaun. Ami mós hein katak liuhusi projetu ida-ne'e, ema sira iha Timor-Leste bele simu apoiu no enkorajamentu husi nasaun amigavel sira hanesan Xina," dehan S.E. Wang Wenli, Embaixadora Xina ba Timor-Leste.

Husi inundasaun ne'e, UNICEF servisu hamutuk ho Governu Timor-Leste hodi responde ba nesesidade urjente sira labarik no família sira-nian iha área bee no saneamentu, nutrisaun no edukasaun. Ho apoiu fulan 18 husi Governu Xina, UNICEF sei kontinua fó apoiu ba Governu Timor-Leste hodi responde ba efeitu inundasaun nian, no mós fó apoiu ba komunidade sira atu rekupera no reziliente liu ba dezastre sira iha futuru.

Iha munisípiu haat, Dili, Ainaro, Ermera no Baucau, sei kobre labarik na'in 83.000 ho servisu nutrisaun ne'ebé krítiku no feto isin-rua na'in 34.000 sei hetan apoiu ho servisu konsellu kona-ba nutrisaun no fó-susu. Apoiu ba asesu ba bee, saneamentu no ijiene (BESI), ema na'in 10.000 (uma-kain 2.000) husi munisípiu hirak-ne'e sei hetan servisu BESI ne'ebé di'ak liu. Iha edukasaun, projetu ne'e sei kobre labarik na'in 24.449 ne'ebé sei hetan benefísiu husi ambiente eskola ne'ebé di'ak liu iha eskola 34 iha Dili, Baucau, Lautem, Liquica no Manufahi.

"Rekuperasaun hafoin inundasaun, presiza resposta ba tempu naruk tanba komunidade sira ne'ebé afetadu hasoru ona vulnerabilidade oioin iha saúde, nutrisaun, edukasaun, bee no saneamentu, molok inundasaun akontese. UNICEF apresia apoiu ne'e husi Governu Xina, ne'ebé sei kontribui atu harii fila-fali servisu sosiál báziku ba labarik no família sira, no mós apoia estabelesimentu mekanizmu redusaun risku dezastre nian sira hodi hamenus impaktu husi akontesimentu klimátiku sira iha futuru," dehan Reprezentante País UNICEF, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani.

Nasaun barak iha rejiaun Azia Leste no Pasifiku, inklui Timor-Leste, hasoru perigu no xoke klimátiku no ambientál oioin, hanesan udan boot no inundasaun. Ida-ne'e hamosu risku ba labarik sira-nia moris no sira-nia família. Iha ámbitu Fundu Global Dezenvolvimentu no Kooperasaun Sul-Sul nian, Governu Xina suporta hela edifísiu UNICEF iha Timor-Leste no Laos hodi fó asisténsia salvasaun moris ba labarik no família sira ne'ebé afetadu husi emerjénsia sira ne'ebé kauza husi klima, hanesan inundasaun.

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Ba informasaun detallu bele kntaktu:

Embaxada Xineza:
• Xi Wang, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Timor Leste, Mobile number - +670 78174297; Email address - tl@mofcom.gov.cn

UNICEF:
• Tapuwa Mutseyekwa, UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist, Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org 
• Antonio Gomes, UNICEF Communications Officer, Mobile number - +670 77232441; Email address - angomez@unicef.org