20 years of WFP in Timor-Leste
By David Kaatrud, Regional Director, WFP Asia and the Pacific (2014–2019)
For Manulete, a remote mountain town 70 km southwest of the capital city, Dili, the busiest place is always its health post. Every day, in the shadows of Mt Ramelau, Timor-Leste’s highest peak, a steady stream of mothers, fathers with their children passes through. Pregnant and nursing mothers get regular health check-ups, and children have their weight, height, and upper-arm circumference measured for signs of malnutrition.
Despite its modest appearance, this little health post, along with many others, is vitally important for the families and communities of Timor-Leste. It is through facilities like this, the Government, with the support of WFP and partners, is able to reach them with essential health and nutrition services, including treatment of malnutrition for children. Twenty years since its independence, the young nation has made great progress in providing adequate, equitable and quality services to its people, and along the way, alleviating poverty and hunger. WFP is privileged to be here, witnessing many milestones since the organization first set up its operations in 1999.
In 2008, the ministries of health and tourism and WFP signed an MoU on food fortification. In 2011, the Government began taking over the responsibility for the school feeding programme from WFP. By the end of 2019, the Ministry of Health will take over the Targeted Supplementary Feeding Programme for the management of malnutrition — a testament to the Government’s unwavering commitment to realizing food security and providing good nutrition to its citizens.
In the coming years, WFP will continue its support to Timor-Leste’s quest towards zero hunger. I am optimistic that children in Manulete, and across the country, will all have a future that is brighter than ever.
Twenty years on, the partnership continues.
