With flood recovery efforts underway, Timor-Leste faces dual problem of a Covid-19 surge
Severe weather over the Easter weekend from Tropical Cyclone Seroja has caused large-scale destruction in Timor Leste. Flash floods and landslides have left forty-two people dead and seventy others unaccounted for. As Timor-Leste grapples with navigating a path to recovery, it faces a new problem of a surge in Covid-19 transmission in the community. Lockdown measures have been eased temporarily to allow thousands of displaced citizens in Dili to shelter in emergency centres. This has prompted a jump in the number of cases in the community and caused the government to declare a state of emergency. Australia has responded to calls for international assistance and pledged $7 million in emergency relief for flood recovery efforts to support the work of organisations such as the Timor-Leste Red Cross.