IOM has received USD 518,000 from the USAID's Office of Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to implement Disaster Risk Reduction
(DRR) activities in five of Timor-Leste's most disaster-prone
districts.

Over the past decade, Timor-Leste has experienced wild
fluctuations in weather patterns and has been badly affected by
both El Nino and La Nina. These extremes have destroyed livelihoods
and impacted development in one of Asia's newest and poorest
nations.

"The new funding will allow IOM and the government to introduce
globally accepted best practices in reducing the risks that natural
disasters pose to those vulnerable and isolated communities most
likely to be affected when disaster strikes," says IOM Asia and
Pacific emergency specialist Chris Hoffman.

IOM will use the money to help rural communities to reduce the
impact of disasters through training, small grants and educational
inputs.

It will also support national and district level efforts to
prepare for sudden onset emergencies by instituting for the first
time in Timor-Leste the Common Operational Response Essentials
(CORE) training.

Simulation exercises conducted in the districts will bring
together national and local responders to better appreciate what
could happen during a crisis and allow them to develop joint action
plans.

For more information please contact

Chris Hoffman

IOM Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok

Tel. +66 81 915 6980

Email: "mailto:choffman@iom.int">choffman@iom.int