Attachments
CONTEXT
- The compounding effects of poor economic conditions, rising food and fuel prices, and climatic shocks—including cyclones, drought, floods, and landslides— continue to drive humanitarian needs among vulnerable populations in Timor- Leste, also commonly known as East Timor, according to the UN World Food Program (WFP). An estimated 342,000 people—nearly one fourth of Timor- Leste’s population—were projected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity through September 2024, representing a nearly 30 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to an Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Analysis.
- Approximately 80 percent of households in Timor-Leste report agriculture as their primary source of income, according to World Vision. Drought conditions, exacerbated by climate change, limited investment in Timor- Leste’s agricultural sector, and restricted access to livelihood-boosting financial support services have resulted in low levels of agricultural production and high food and fuel prices. These outcomes diminished purchasing power and contributed to persistent food insecurity and malnutrition in the country. As a result, many households rely on negative food- and livelihood-based coping strategies, including begging or borrowing, engaging in child labor, reducing the frequency of meals, and reducing spending on health and education.