Dili, Thursday, 20^th April 2023 - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have signed an agreement to jointly support Government and the people of Timor-Leste in preventing and responding to protection issues during emergencies.

This regional initiative, “Addressing Protection Risks in Humanitarian Settings in Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea”, funded by the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), aims to improve mechanisms and capacities of stakeholders to address protection risks during periods of flooding, mudslides and other climate-induced catastrophes.

“Building on IOM’s existing efforts around internal displacement and protection of the most vulnerable populations, we are committed to giving the humanitarian assistance” stated Ihma Shareef, IOM Chief of Mission in Timor-Leste. “We are proud to partner with UNICEF on this crucial project to address protection risks in humanitarian settings that Timor-Leste has been facing in recent years.”

Timor-Leste is highly prone to natural disasters, which often resulted in heightened risks of injuries, loss of lives, damage to public infrastructure, access restrictions, loss of assets, and disruptions to household’s livelihoods. For example, a total of 33,835 households were affected by floods that swept across the country. 

The Timor-Leste Joint Appeal & Flood Response Plan estimated that of the people affected by Typhoon Seroje flooding, 48.7 per cent were female, 21.1 per cent were children (aged 0-19), 13.5 per cent were elderly people (aged 65+), while 13.5 per cent and 15 per cent were persons with disabilities. The disruption of protection mechanisms and services during emergencies, coupled with the separation of families and displacement, often increases Gender Based Violence and other protection concerns and the separation of families and displacement among these vulnerable groups.

“UNICEF is pleased with this collaboration, which will help to develop immediate and long-term solutions to ensure that the safety and protection of vulnerable populations, including children, are prioritised during any emergency,” said UNICEF Representative, Bilal Durrani. “Through this project, we will support Government and other stakeholder to speedily identify, treat, and prevent protection issues among vulnerable groups during emergencies.”

In Timor-Leste currently, major challenges exist in disaster risk management, including limitations in social safety nets, capacity to respond and infrastructure. Through this project, UNICEF and IOM will support the Government of Timor-Leste in further strengthening its system, building capacity, and raising awareness to address protection risks faced by the most vulnerable populations in humanitarian settings.

Addressing protection risks within humanitarian settings is fundamental to achieving many of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal One on Poverty Eradication, Goal Five on Gender Equality and Goal 13 on Climate Change Action.

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Media Inquiries

Ihma Shareef, IOM Chief of Mission in Timor-Leste, ishareef@iom.int

Muhammad Maulana Iberahim, Media & Communications, IOM Timor-Leste miberahim@iom.int

Tapuwa Mutseyekwa

UNICEF Advocacy and Communication Specialist

Mobile number - +670 77231103; Email Address – tmutseyekwa@unicef.org

Antonio Gomes

UNICEF Communications Officer

 Mobile number -+670 77232441; angomez@unicef.org