DILI, 22 september 2021 (TATOLI)—The Japanese government through the Embassy in Timor-Leste (TL) provides USD 3 million to the World Food Program (WFP) to support emergency food security in Timor-Leste.
The Japanese government signed an exchange note with WFP on Tuesday to provide emergency food supplies and support to vulnerable households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst flooding in Timor-Leste seen in decades.
Japanese Ambassador to the TL, Kinefuchi Masami said that people are the most important resource for the development of a country, and food security must be guaranteed for people to live healthy and safe.
“We hope that this support through the WFP will improve the nutritional conditions of vulnerable communities and save many lives. I hope that this new aid will contribute to this policy and improvement of people’s welfare,” The Japanese Ambassador, Kinefuchi Masami said in his remarks, at the Hotel Timor, this Tuesday
He declares that Japan has provided the amount of USD 3 million contributions. 2.5 million USD will be used to provide emergency food safety support to the TL Government through the Secretary of State for Civil Protection (SSCP) and the Ministry of Solidarity and Social Inclusion (MSSI).
It is remaining $0.5 million to be used for the coordination and planning distribution as well as the supply chain capacity strengthening through augmentation and policy support.
The project we are signing today is targeting to reinforce the rice, beans, and oil to 40,000 crisis-affected people in the country over the next and half years.
“It also aims to increase the Government’s capacity in making food supply policies, food distribution planning, and improvement of the supply chain,” he said.
He agreed that the government of TL is taking serious steps in addressing this agenda through policies such as the “National Action Plan for Consolidation and Food Security”, and the “No Hunger Action Plan”.
According to Masami, food security is a global agenda. Securing enough food for everyone and eliminating malnutrition are fundamental responsibilities of every government.
WFP has long been an important partner for Japan. The Embassy previously partnered with WFP five times to provide food assistance to TL for a total of $7.6 million, and together with this new commitment, the total Japanese food aid through WFP will amount to $10.6 million.
WFP Timor-Leste representative Dageng Liu said, “This contribution comes at a critical time, as the COVID-19 pandemic and recent floods have exacerbated existing disparities in food security and nutrition.
“We thank the Government of Japan for its commitment continues to support Timor-Leste people during the COVID-19, for those who are most vulnerable in terms of malnutrition and food insecurity – women and children,” said Dengeng Liu in his speech.
This contribution from the Government of Japan will play an important role in supporting the Government to meet emergency food safety requirements and to build long-term planning capacity and take a more nutrition-sensitive approach.
In addition to the pandemic and flooding, Timor-Leste has grappled with a mix of food insecurity and malnutrition, especially among women and children. In fact, in children under 5 years of age, 47% were stunted, 8.6% were underweight, and 32% were underweight. Anemia – a proxy indicator for micronutrient deficiency – is common in 2 out of every 3 children under 5 years old, and 4 out of every 10 women aged 15-49 years.
Although poverty rates have declined, a recent Fill the Nutrient Gap study shows that between 63%-85% of Timorese households cannot afford nutritious food that meets their needs for energy, protein, and 13 micronutrients: “The great support from the Japanese people to the people of Timor-Leste through the UN system has shown that through cooperation, solidarity, and partnership we can act together to overcome the pandemic and transform the food system,”
The Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (MAKE), Joaquim Amaral who represented the TL Government at the event, thanked the two partners, WFP and the Government of Japan who continued to assist in TL’s situation.
“TL has experienced many obstacles so far apart from the pandemic for two years as for natural disasters, we thank the Japanese government for supporting WFP which helps to maintain food security in TL,” he concluded.
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
