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In Brief
THIS EMERGENCY APPEAL SEEKS CHF 569,685 IN CASH, KIND, OR SERVICES TO ASSIST 8,400 BENEFICIARIES FOR 6 MONTHS
Operational overview: This emergency appeal is in response to a series of storms and floods in Timor-Leste over the past month or so. The ongoing extreme weather has hampered assessments in affected communities, which are mostly isolated and scattered over a wide area. Assessments have now taken place and the Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste is at the forefront of efforts to help the thousands of people affected. This emergency appeal seeks international backing in support of these efforts.
The situation
Several districts in Timor-Leste have been hit by storms since mid-January. The district of Oecusse has been one of the hardest hit, affected by continuous floods. To date, more than 1,200 houses have been damaged / destroyed, and at least 100 wells contaminated. 3,158 farmers have suffered loss of crops, such as corn and rice. In addition, there has been extensive loss of livestock. The number of affected families is expected to increase because of the ongoing heavy rains across the region.
Oecusse: the Timor-Leste enclave located on the coast of the Indonesian part of Timor was ravaged by floods. Heavy rains caused the river Tono to swell, destroying sections of the river bank that protects the adjacent villages. More than 500 families have been directly affected through damage to housing and crops. Strong currents in the Tono river caused livestock, such as horses, cows, pigs, buffalos and chickens, to perish. More than 100 wells were contaminated resulting in limited potable water supply for communities.
Oecusse is in a highly vulnerable area. Its remote location compounds this vulnerability. It is accessible only by ferry (15-hour trip) or UN helicopter from the capital Dili twice a week. Local transportation is a challenge, given the scattered nature of communities and lack of roads. Communication with the district is difficult because of poor telephone coverage. Electricity and fuel supplies are often interrupted. Such a scenario exacerbates health risks, such as malaria, dengue and tuberculosis. A similar disaster three years ago led to a cholera outbreak and 21 deaths.
The districts of Ainaro, Viqueque, Maliana, Bobonaro and Baucau were exposed to storms, destroying or damaging houses, particularly roofs. Ongoing rain means that several families are continue to be exposed to the elements. Food crops were also destroyed.
Access to these districts is by road. Logistics is a problem because of the scattered nature of communities and damage/destruction to roads caused in the storms. The power supply in the affected areas is limited and in many cases has not been restored. Communication remains problematic throughout the districts.
There are fresh reports that the districts of Ermera and Manufahi have also been exposed to storms, but the situation there has not yet been assessed (as of the issue of this appeal).
For more information:
In Timor-Leste, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste, Secretary-general Isabel Gutterres, Phone: +670 724 8963, Email: sec-gen@cvtl.tp,
In Timor-Leste, Federation Head of Country Delegation Olav Ofstad, Phone: +670 7231434, E-mail: olav.ofstad@ifrc.org
Mr Bekele Geleta, Federation Head of Regional Delegation, Bangkok, Phone: +66 2661 8201 ext 100, Email: bekele.geleta@ifrc.org
In Geneva: South-East Asia Regional Officer, Charles Evans, Asia Pacific Department, Geneva, Email: charles.evans@ifrc.org; phone +41 22 730 4320; fax 41 22 733 0395 or Sabine Feuglet, Email: sabine.feuglet@ifrc.org phone+41 22 730 4349; ; fax 41 22 733 0395
All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org
For longer-term programmes, please refer to the Federation's Annual Appeal.
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