Summary
An IFRC DREF was allocated on 15 April 2016 to enable CVTL to respond to the humanitarian needs of people affected by the drought conditions affecting the country that have been attributed to the El Niño climatic condition. Prior to the DREF allocation, the IFRC APRO deployed a cash and livelihoods coordinator to support CVTL in undertaking an initial assessment and developing a response plan. An emergency appeal operation was subsequently launched on the 18th May 2016 to address the needs created by the El Niño drought and to ensure that capacity was built in preparation for a possible La Niña event. Activities have since begun, with twenty communities, targeted by CVTL in consultation with the Timor-Leste government, in three districts (Baucau, Viqueque and Lautem), all located in the east of the country.
A total of 5,508 households were identified as being vulnerable to the impact of El Niño following completion of the initial household needs assessment. A planned revision of the appeal will reflect the increase in target beneficiaries and the planned response.
The situation
The 2016 El Niño event that brought drought conditions to many parts of Southeast Asia, including Timor-Leste, was officially declared over by forecasters in June, however, the impact of the conditions brought by the climatic change are still impacting on the poorest communities. Loss of crops and livestock, a poor rice harvest, and diminished seed stock, all present acute problems for the most vulnerable households.
International climate models currently indicate that a La Niña may form sometime around July to August with the likelihood of a La Niña impacting later in 2016 remaining around 50 per cent. If this scenario presents in Timor-Leste above average rainfall and heightened risk of flooding would be expected during the period August to November. This would have a potentially devestating effect on communities not fully recovered from the effects of the El Niño.