DILI, 09 august 2024 (TATOLI) – The United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF), with support from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), handed over 85 water tanks to Bee Timor-Leste (BTL), to support Government’s current efforts to mitigate the negative impacts of the El Nino induced drought conditions leading to domestic water shortages in several vulnerable areas.
The water tanks, each with a capacity of 3,200 litres, will be deployed to four municipalities, where at least 13,000 vulnerable persons belonging to 2,600 families will be provided with clean water required for daily consumption as well as managing basic sanitation and hygiene.
“These water tanks are being handed over to Government to support the country’s preparedness to respond to the predicted El Nino’s induced drought conditions, which force families to rely on unsafe water sources for drinking and other household uses. This will lead to numerous health issues in the lives of children and their families, including disease outbreaks, infectious and respiratory illnesses, and increased levels of malnutrition. This support will help mitigate these risks” said UNICEF Representative, Patrizia DiGiovanni.
El Niño is a natural climate phenomenon, which causes a temporary rise in temperature of certain regions and increases the likelihood of extreme weather events that compromise food and water security while intensifying the likelihood of disease outbreaks. In Timor-Leste, between 2023 and 2024, the El Nino phenomenon is anticipated to raise concerns of imminent drought conditions, which dries off water sources and places immense strain on already fragile water availability of the country.
According to 2022 national census, 54 percent of households in Timor-Leste experiences water shortage at least once in a 6-month period which goes up to 70 percent in some municipalities. The El Nino induced drought is anticipated to worsen this situation and efforts of mitigation need to be in place to avoid a life-threatening situation.
Partnership between UNICEF and BTL will help establish 85 interim water storage tanks in the most vulnerable aldeias in the four municipalities Bobonaro, Lautem, Manufahi, Covalima with a mechanism for regular transportation of water to fill these tanks over a period of 3 months.
During this period, these 85 tanks will service as the primary water source for the affected communities in obtaining adequate quantity of water to manage their basic daily functions and secure overall wellbeing. These communities will also receive knowledge on water conservation and water safety including basic utensils, such as 2,000 jerry cans, for water collection and safe storage
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
