Dili, June 25, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The government, through the Civil Protection Authority (APC), in collaboration with its partner the World Food Programme (WFP), held a workshop under the theme “Strengthening Logistics Coordination for Emergency Preparedness in Timor-Leste”. The event took place at Hotel City 8 on Monday.
The Secretary of State for Civil Protection, Domingos Mariano Reis, explained that this workshop, organized together with the World Food Programme (WFP), aims to enhance emergency response to natural disasters that may occur in Timor-Leste.
“Today we are holding a two-day workshop to build the capacity of our managers and technical staff to improve their knowledge in logistics management, enabling better preparation for emergency response to natural disasters in Timor-Leste,” stated Domingos Mariano Reis.
He further explained that the workshop runs for two days from today until tomorrow (24/06/2025), with participants from APC leadership, development partners, PNTL (National Police of Timor-Leste), and relevant ministerial line agencies working closely with APC.
In addition, human resource capacity building is essential to improve knowledge and management during major disasters, enabling responders to act effectively according to established procedures.
In the same venue, the WFP Representative in Timor-Leste, Jacqueline de Groot, stated that this activity is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national disaster response capacity. WFP, through its Field-Based Preparedness Project (FBPP) under the Global Logistics Cluster, has organized this second Humanitarian Logistics Preparedness Seminar this week in Dili.
“The objective of this program is to promote discussions on the creation of a Technical Logistics Working Group for Timor-Leste, to develop a coordinated, efficient, and timely emergency logistics system. The seminar also aims to align the group’s work with national priorities,” explained Jacqueline de Groot.
She emphasized that the Civil Protection Authority, as the leading body in coordinating emergency response in Timor-Leste, plays a central role in this initiative. “Timor-Leste faces various risks due to its geography and climate. Strengthening logistics coordination across all sectors is crucial to ensure effective emergency response to disasters.” She said
“By investing in emergency logistics coordination today, Timor-Leste is taking concrete steps to reduce the impact of future disasters. This strategic engagement is essential to build a stronger system that can save lives and protect livelihoods,” she continued.
She affirmed that the collective expertise of the various actors and ongoing dialogue is key to developing an effective emergency logistics coordination system in Timor-Leste, ensuring timely and efficient assistance for those most in need during disasters.
She further explained that this second seminar involved 100 participants from the government, humanitarian sector, and civil society, building on previous initiatives such as the first seminar held in November 2024 and the Humanitarian Simulation Exercise (SimEx) conducted in December 2024. These activities have helped identify critical areas for improving emergency logistics coordination and establish stronger collaborative frameworks in Timor-Leste.
Report: Nelfiano
Photo: Nelfiano