On Monday 5 April the EU expressed its full solidarity with the government and people of Timor-Leste after the floods caused by tropical cyclone Seroja devastated Díli and other parts of the country, killing 27 people.
“Our thoughts are with those who have lost their homes and livelihoods. We offer our condolences to the families of the victims”, said European External Action Service spokesperson Nabila Massrali.
She continued, “The catastrophic floods come at a time when Timor-Leste is working hard to contain the spread of Covid-19 among its population, putting a considerable additional strain both on resources and on the Timorese people”.
She then went on to highlight that the Copernicus Emergency Management Service had been activated for damage assessment and that the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) was closely monitoring the situation: “We stand ready to provide further assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, if requested”.
Any country in the EU or outside the EU facing a disaster can benefit from assistance if it applies for it. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)