Japan pledges USD $3 million to WFP to support emergency food security in Timor-Leste
2021/9/21
The Government of Japan granted USD $3 million for WFP’s emergency food security programmes supporting people affected by COVID-19 and recent flood
DILI – The Government of Japan has signed an exchange of notes with the World Food Programme (WFP) on the 21st of September 2021 to provide emergency food supplies and support to vulnerable households hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the worst floods Timor-Leste has seen in decades.
This contribution comes at a crucial time, as the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent floods have exacerbated existing gaps in food security and nutrition. This contribution from the Government of Japan will be instrumental in supporting the Government to fulfill immediate emergency food security requirements and to build longer term planning capacity as well as to take a more nutrition-sensitive approach.
In addition to the pandemic and flooding, Timor-Leste has been grappling with a mix of food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly among women and children. In fact, among children under 5 years of age, 47% are stunted, 8.6% are wasted, and 32% are underweight. Anaemia – a proxy indicator for micronutrient deficiencies – is prevalent with 2 out of every 3 children under 5 years, and 4 out of every 10 women between the ages of 15-49.
Although poverty rates have declined, the recent Fill the Nutrient Gap study indicates that between 63%-85% of Timorese households are unable to afford nutritious diets that meet the requirements for energy, protein and 13 micronutrients.
The Ambassador of Japan to Timor-Leste, Masami Kinefuchi who signed the exchange of notes said, “People is the most important resource for the development of a country, and food security must be guaranteed for people to live a healthy and safe life. We hope this assistance through WFP will improve the nutrition condition of the vulnerable people and save many lives.”.