UNICEF and People’s Republic of China hand over hygiene and sanitation kits to the Ministry of Health

Dili, 23 July 2025 – The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) and the People’s Republic of China, yesterday handed over 1,900 hygiene and sanitation kits to the Ministry of Health, to support communities and households who are vulnerable to floods and landslides, including those affected by the floods of 2021.

The hygiene and sanitation kits, which contain sanitation and hygiene essential items such as disinfections, surface cleaning consumables, cleaning equipment and water purification tablets, are aimed to support communities to safely manage and sustain water, sanitation and hygiene practices during and after flood events. More than approximately 10,000 people from Dili, Ainaro, Baucau, and Ermera will benefit from this support.  

“The support from the People’s republic of China, channeled through UNICEF, enhances our WASH prevention and response capacities.  This represents a decisive step towards improving community health services delivery,” said H.E. José dos Reis Magno , Vice Minister for Institutional Strengthening, Ministry of Health. 

In April 2021, Timor-Leste was hit by intense floods, which swept through the country, displacing thousands of families, and causing significant damage to infrastructure and losses to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities. To date, some of the communities still do not have access to clean water and proper sanitation practices. 

“This handover event marks an important milestone in reshaping the lives of flood affected communities and helping communities mitigate the risks associated with flooding. It represents our collective commitment to rebuild self-confidence and keep affected communities protected from the threats of infectious disease, and to ensure that communities are well prepared for future disasters.” says. Patrizia DiGiovanni, UNICEF Country Representative to Timor-Leste.

“Health and hygiene are vital elements of sustainable development. The Chinese Government has long supported the improvement of infrastructure and capacity-building of health systems in Timor-Leste and other developing countries, and is committed to promoting a global community of health for all. We hope that once these supplies are put into use, they will help provide a cleaner, safer, and healthier environment for the people of Timor-Leste.” says H.E. Wang Wenli., The People’s Republic of China Ambassador to Timor-Leste. 

In addition to the sanitation and hygiene kits, households in the targeted communities will be engaged with orientation and training sessions, to help increase their knowledge, capacity and skills to safely manage and sustain water, sanitation and hygiene practices, including in the aftermath of floods. 

This knowledge will help ensure that families have the right skills to always maintain safe household water storage and practice household water treatment.

Last month, also through the generous support of the People’s Republic of China, UNICEF handed over 25 reservoir water tanks to the Ministry of Public Works through Bee Timor-Leste (BTL). E.P. 
These water tanks, each with a holding capacity of 5 200 litres, are being distributed to the targeted communities, to ensure they have better access to clean and safe water.   
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