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Japan Signs New Pact For Food Assistance In Timor-Leste

Japan and WFP Sign Grant Aid Notes for Food Assistance Programme in Timor-Leste

A group of four farmers, one man and three women, standing in a sunny green field holding a large purple eggplant together.
Illustrative photo of agricultural cooperation. The Government of Japan has signed a grant aid agreement with the WFP to support the “Food Assistance Programme” in Timor-Leste to address food insecurity.

On November 22 in Dili, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, H.E. Mr. KIMURA Tetsuya, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and Mr. Amin SAID, Deputy Country Director and Officer-in-Charge of the World Food Programme in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, signed and exchanged notes for the Grant Aid Food Assistance Programme valued at 100 million yen.

East Timor has a stunting rate of about 47 percent among children under five, according to the World Bank in 2020, placing it among the highest globally. Rising production costs and delayed harvests linked to irregular rainfall have further affected the country’s food security and sustainable agriculture, increasing the urgency of food procurement and supply.

The cooperation aims to support the school feeding program in Timor-Leste by providing the government with funds to purchase food through the World Food Programme.

Basic Data on the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

The country spans approximately 14,900 square kilometers, which is similar in size to the four metropolitan prefectures of Japan combined. It has a population of about 1.36 million people, based on World Bank data from 2023. The per capita gross national income is recorded at US$2,140, also according to World Bank figures from 2023.

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