Government of Timor-Leste

The Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes and the Resident Coordinator of the Asian Development Bank (ADB),  Sunil Mitra, signed, on April 16^th 2021, a grant agreement for one million US dollars to support a program called “Flood Response and Recovery Support Project” following the tropical cyclone Seroja, which caused floods and landslides in Dili and several municipalities.

This grant, funded by the Asia-Pacific Disaster Response Fund, through ADB, will support the Government of Timor-Leste’s efforts to recover rescue services, such as damage assessment, crisis response coordination, disaster recovery, provision of cash transfers and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure.

In his remarks, Finance Minister Rui Gomes said that "the programme will fund debris removal, much needed drainage and road cleaning, including stagnant water drainage to prevent dengue, and other urgent rehabilitation activities. The programme will conduct a rapid damage assessment of affected houses and community infrastructure for a better analysis of the consequences of the catastrophic floods. Through this programme, locally purchased emergency supplies will also be delivered to individuals and families who are unable to work, including many of our farmers whose crops and rice fields were devastated by Tropical Cyclone Seroja. "

Minister Rui Gomes also thanked ADB, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Korean Government for their generous support and solidarity in times of crisis and looks forward to further support and collaboration in rebuilding and restoring the livelihoods of the Timorese people. It is anticipated that approximately 5,000 people will benefit from this project, enabling support to local families and communities.

This grant will be implemented by UNDP, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of State Administration, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, and the Secretary of State for Vocational Training and Employment. The project will target 50 identified villages (sucos) and will indirectly benefit about 65,000 people.

During the event, Minister Rui Gomes also launched the Timor-Leste Emergency Fund, with the Account: Fundo de Emergência de Timor-Leste, Account Number: TL38 90 0000 0100 0037 12161, Banco Central de Timor-Leste. This fund will provide Development Partners, including individual supporters with the capacity to support the Government with urgently needed financial resources. By contributing directly to this Fund, Development Partners significantly reduce administrative and transaction costs and contribute to increase the capacity of the Government to respond quickly to the crisis. The Minister also encouraged development partners to put much needed resources into this Fund to help people overcome the disastrous effects of the recent floods.

From March 29^th, to April 4^th, torrential rains and winds caused historic flooding that damaged houses, agricultural land and infrastructure, including power lines and communication networks in eight municipalities in Timor-Leste. Data as of April 15^th,  2021 from the Ministry of State Administration indicates that there are 10,487 people displaced in Dili and 25,709 nationwide, with 35 confirmed victims and ten missing. Many people have lost their homes and belongings, in a total of 4 546 families whose houses were destroyed, among them 3,354 in Dili alone (74%). Dili was the municipality most affected by the floods, accounting for 43% of the damage, while the other municipalities recorded the other 57% of damages.