DILI, 16 april 2021 (TATOLI) –The Ministry of Finance (MF) and The Asia Development Bank (ADB) signed a $.1 million financial agreement to supporting flood responses and recovery projects from the tropical cyclone Seroja that caused flash flooding and landslide in Dili.
The agreement was signed between The Minister of Finance, Rui Agusto Gomes, and ADB Coordinator, Sunil Mitra at the MInistry of Finance hall, AiTarak Laran, Dili.
The Minister of Finance, Rui Gomes said, this grant financial will support the Government of Timor-Leste’s efforts to restore life-saving services, such as conducting damage assessment, coordinating crisis response, recovering the disaster, providing conditional transfers to the residents, and rehabilitating basic community infrastructures.
“The program will fund debris removal, much-needed drainage, and road clearance, including drainage of stagnant water to prevent dengue and other urgently needed repairs. The program will carry out a rapid damage assessment of affected houses and community infrastructure to better understand the consequences of the catastrophic flooding,” Minister Gomes said in a written statement.
“This program will also deliver emergency, locally purchased, food supplies to individuals and families who are unable to work, including many of our farmers whose crops and rice-paddy fields were devastated by the tropical cyclone Seroja.” He added.
The emergency relief fund that has been recorded in the Secretary of State for Civil Protection(SEPS), comprised of the support fund from the United State (US) Embassy $.100.000, Chinese Embassy $. 100.00, Australia $.5.34 million, Japan Embassy support 5000 blankets, and Australia and New Zealand Bank ( ANZ) $50.000 hundred.
Likewise, Timor-Leste has received basic needs support from the development partners.
Following the reports from the Authority The number of people killed in the flooding caused by the torrential rains, rose 35 with 10 people remain missing,
4.564 households have been displaced with 25.00 residents across Dili were forced to evacuate to safer places.
Jornalist: Antónia Gusmão
Editor: Julia Chatarina
