Emergency Aid to East Timor for Rehabilitation and Development

December 18, 2001

1. On December 18 (Tue), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency assistance totaling approximately $19,270,000 to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the steady progress of the process toward independence and nation-building in East Timor. The Government of Japan announced in December 1999 its decision to extend $100 million in total for East Timor's rehabilitation and development over the following three years, and the decision made today is part of this assistance.

2. The assistance will be extended for six projects of the UNDP, and the amount of assistance is as follows:

   (1) Urgent Rehabilitation and Improvement of the Distribution Network for the Dili Water Supply: $2,361,000
   (2) Urgent Rehabilitation and Improvement to Water Supplies in Liquica, Los Palos and Manatuto: $2,405,000
   (3) Urgent Rehabilitation of Dili Port West Container Stacking Yard: $2,999,000
   (4) Urgent Rehabilitation of Laclo Irrigation System: $6,129,000
   (5) Timor Loro Sae Scholarship funded by the Government of Japan for East Timorese Students: $707,000
   (6) Urgent Rehabilitation of Faculty of Engineering East Timor National University: $4,670,000

3. Although the process toward independence and nation-building is currently under way in East Timor under the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET), the infrastructure, which was damaged by the turmoil in 1999, is still not in good working order and is disrupting the lives of the local people. Lack of human resources development for the East Timorese is also disturbing the rehabilitation and development of the country.
       In this situation, the assistance which will be extended by the Government of Japan to rehabilitate and improve the water supply system, roads, port facilities, and irrigation facilities will contribute to improving the living environment of the people in East Timor and building the foundation of a future independent nation. The provision of scholarships and assistance to establish a university will contribute to fostering human resources with high expertise, so that the people of East Timor will be able to govern their own country by themselves.

Related Information (Timor-Leste Situation (Archives))