Dili, 8 September 2009 - Timor-Leste, the South-East Asia Region's youngest nation, has announced that it will make a contribution to the World Health Organization's (WHO) unique million dollar health emergency fund, whose fast and flexible disbursement mechanism has already allowed it to make a difference to more than 200 000 people affected by various humanitarian crises in the Region. Timor-Leste's contribution of US$10, 000 to the South-East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund (SEARHEF) will add to the fund's pool of US$1 million provided by the WHO Regional Office for South‐East Asia.

"From our history, we have seen the difference that prompt support can make to the lives of the people in humanitarian situations. That is why, today, we would like to give something back to support health in emergencies," said Timor‐Leste's Minister of Health, Dr Nelson Martins, currently in Kathmandu, Nepal, attending the annual South-East Asian Region's Health Ministers Meeting. He added "It is a unique and important Fund that has already, since its inception, made a difference to the lives of those suffering humanitarian situations, in less than two years, since it was first used during Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in May 2008. We hope that it will continue to make a difference in emergencies in the Region."

Dr Paramita Sudharto, WHO representative to Timor‐Leste said, "We are happy to receive this contribution from the Government of Timor-Leste. This shows that Timor‐Leste is committed to global issues." In a disaster, speedy assistance can make all the difference between life and death. Yet most emergency funding takes days to arrive. The South‐East Asia Regional Health Emergency Fund was launched in 2007 to bridge this gap. Its goal is to provide funds within 24 hours of a request from the Government following an emergency.

SEARHEF was first used following Cyclone Nargis which claimed over 130 000 lives in Myanmar in 2008. It has since been used to provide critical health needs in a number of emergencies, including the Kosi river floods in Nepal in 2008, and most recently, in the conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatist group which ended in May 2009.

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OMS nian fundu emerjénsia saúde úniku hetan suporta husi Timor-Leste

Dili, 8 Setembru 2009 - Timor-Leste, nasaun nurak liu Rejiaun Sudeste Aziátiku nian anúnsia katak sei fo-kontribuisaun ida ba Organizasaun Mundiál Saúde nian Fundu Emerjénsia Saúde úniku millaun-dollar, nia mekanismu hasai lalais no fleksibel halo ona nia atu halo diferensa ba ema liu 200.000 afetadu ho krize umanitáriu oioin iha Rejiaun. Timor-Leste nian kontribuisaun US$10,000 ba Fundu Emerjénsia Rejionál Sudeste Aziátiku (SEARHEF) sei aumenta fundu millaun 1 fornese husi OMS Rejiaun Sudeste Aziátiku. Husi ami nian istória, ami haree katak suporta rapidéz bele halo diferensa ba ema nian moris iha situasaun umanitáriu.

Tanba ne'e mak ohin loron, ami hakarak fo-fila buat ruma atu suporta saúde iha emerjénsia, "hateten Ministru Saúde Timor-Leste, Dr Nelson Martins foin dadaun ne'e iha Kathmandu Nepál, bainhira atende enkontru anual Ministru Saúde Rejiaun Sudeste Aziátiku nian.
Nia hatutan " ida ne'e fundu úniku no importante ne'ebé iha, tanba ho nia ezisténsia, halo diferensa ba moris ema sira n'ebé sofre husi situasaun umanitáriu, iha menus tinan rua nia laran, bainhira ba dala-uluk uza ba Siklone Nargis iha Myanmar Maiu 2008. Ita espera katak
ida ne'e bele kontinua halo diferensa iha merjénsia rejiaun ida ne'e nian".

Dr Paramita Sudharto, Representante OMS hateten " Ami kontente atu simu kontribuisaun ida ne'e husi Governu Timor‐Leste. Ida ne'e hatudu katak Timor-Leste iha komitmentu ba asuntu global". Iha dezastre ida, asisténsia rápidu bele halo buat hotu diferente entre moris no mate. Tanba fundu emerjénsia barak lori loron balu atu to'o. Fundu Emerjénsia Saúde Sudeste Aziátiku lansa iha 2007 atu sai hanesan ponte ba laguna ida ne'e.

Nia objetivu atu fornese fundu durante oras 24 nia laran ba pedidu husi Governu ida hafoin emerjénsia. SEARHEF uza ba dala uluk hafoin Siklone Nargis ne'ebé hasai ema 130 000 nia moris iha Myanmar iha 2008. Desde ida ne'e uza atu fornese nesesidade saúde krítiku iha emerjénsia barak, inklui inundasaun mota Koshi iha Nepal iha 2008, no foin dadaun ne'e, iha konflitu entre Governu Sri Lanka no Grupu Separatista Libertasaun husi Tamil Elam (LTTE) ne'ebé remata iha Maiu 2009.

Ba informasaun liután kontaktu:

Shima Roy, Ofisiál Komunikasaun, OMS Timor-Leste,
email: roysh@searo.who.int, Mobile +670‐7540321 ou Dr Roderico Ofrin, Adviser Regional, Asaun Emerjénsia no Umanitariu,
OMS SEARO email: ofrinr@searo.who.int

For more information contact:
Shima Roy, Communications Officer, WHO Timor-Leste, Email: roysh@searo.who.int
Mobile: +670- 7540321 or Dr Roderico Ofrin, Regional Adviser, Emergency and Humanitarian Action,
WHO Regional office for South-East Asia, Email: ofrinr@searo.who.int
Or log on to www.searo.who.int