Atabae, Maliana | 8 January 2026; The Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste (CVTL), through its National Disaster Response Team (NDRT) and Branch Disaster Response Team (BDRT) from the Bobonaro Branch, in coordination with the Civil Protection Authority (APC) at national and municipal levels, the Bobonaro Municipal Civil Protection Services (SMPC), and World Vision Timor-Leste (WVTL), distributed emergency assistance to families affected by floods that occurred on 5 January 2026.
A total of 10 CVTL responders (2 women and 8 men) participated in the response operation, which took place in Meguir Sub-village, Aidabaleten Village, Atabae Administrative Post, Bobonaro Municipality. The assistance reached 151 flood-affected families, including women, men, children, and people with disabilities, who were among the most vulnerable groups impacted by the disaster.
Filomeno de Araujo, CVTL Disaster Response Manager, expressed concern over the impact of the floods so early in the new year. “CVTL feels deeply saddened that, at the very beginning of the new year, communities must face disasters. These events are not what we wish for, but they can happen naturally at any time. Therefore, CVTL calls on all community members to remain vigilant.”
He emphasized the importance of safety and early action during emergencies: “When disasters occur, people must avoid danger areas and evacuate immediately especially children, people with disabilities, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers with infants, and other vulnerable groups, who should always be prioritized for immediate assistance.”
As part of the emergency response, CVTL distributed 51 family kits and 20 dignity kits to affected households. The Civil Protection Authority (APC) and the Municipal Civil Protection Service (SMPC) supported the operation through damage and needs assessments and the provision of food items, while World Vision Timor-Leste supported transportation and logistics. The CVTL emergency stock kits used in this response were supported by the Australian Red Cross (ARC) and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC).
CVTL urges communities to immediately communicate with local authorities, APC, CVTL, OPS, or the Fire Brigade when disasters occur. CVTL also extended its appreciation to frontline teams who conducted rapid assessments, enabling assistance to be delivered as quickly as possible within available capacity.
While CVTL remains committed to providing emergency support, it acknowledges that long-term and comprehensive recovery support remains the responsibility of the government.
In closing, CVTL called on all community members to work together to reduce disaster risks by avoiding illegal tree cutting and uncontrolled land burning, and by planting more trees to help prevent landslides and protect the environment.
