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Timor-Leste

WFP Timor-Leste Country Brief, October 2019

Attachments

In Numbers

9.7 mt of Super Cereal distributed to 1,619 pregnant and breastfeeding women.

WFP reached 350 community members through 13 nutrition education sessions and cooking demonstrations in five municipalities (Bobonaro, Covalima, Dili, Ermera and Oecusse).

US$ 1.75 m six months (November 2019 – April 2020) net funding requirements

People assisted: Women 1678 Men 123 Total 1801

Operational Updates

• A WFP Country Strategic Plan (CSP) Evaluation committee visited the country office on a scoping mission to meet with ministry and development partners to discuss WFPs role in the country. They will return in the end of November to formalize WFP’s future Strategic Plan in Timor-Leste.

• WFP has closed the remaining field offices in five municipalities (Bobonaro, Covalima Ermera, Dili, and Oecusse Region) as the agency shifts from a direct implementation to a technical assistance and capacity strengthening role to the Government.

• A delegation from China, WFP and the Ministry of Health (MoH) visited two community health centres in the region of Ermera, as well as the Timor Global Factory where Timor Vita (a supplementary food product) had previously been produced. They discussed a plan to restart production, as well as plans for health and nutrition programming to address malnutrition in the country. This delegation included the Acting Minister of Health Bonifacio Maukoli dos Reis, Chinese Ambassador Dr. Xiao Jianguo, Chinese Counsellor Geng Xiewei, WFP Country Representative Dageng Liu, along with other high level Officials at the MoH.

• WFP presented preliminary results for the Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) report including the Cost of the Diet (CotD) analysis at World Food Day events. The findings were presented to line ministries, development partners and the public. A final version is expected to be published by the end of the year. Interim analysis suggests:

- A diet which meets the energy requirements is accessible and affordable to almost all Timorese households; - However, only one in four households can afford a nutritious diet (one which provides the energy, protein and 13 micronutrients required for healthy development); and
  • Interventions are needed to address access and availability of nutritious foods.

• As part of the emergency response to bushfires in the country, WFP procured, delivered and distributed 1.1 mt of Super Cereal (a micronutrient dense supplementary food product) to 168 pregnant and breastfeeding women (1-month supply each) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

• WFP is working on updating the country’s Minimum Preparedness Response tools to continue supporting emergency response efforts in the country. This inclues offering training to line ministries in 2019 and 2020.