Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

October 28, 2021, China The launch ceremony of the government's emergency nutritional food assistance project for malnourished pregnant and lactating women in East Asia through the World Food Program was held at the East Ministry of Health. Xiao Jianguo, Ambassador to Timor-Leste, Belo, Minister of Health of Timor-Leste, and Liu Dageng, Representative of the World Food Program in Timor-Leste, attended and delivered speeches. Representatives of WHO and others participated in the event.

  Ambassador Xiao pointed out that the worsening COVID-19 from March to April this year The epidemic and catastrophic floods have exacerbated the food insecurity in Eastern Africa and posed severe challenges to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and lactating women. At the request of the Timorese government, the Chinese government recently cooperated with the World Food Program to provide Timor-Leste with emergency nutritional food assistance for malnourished pregnant and lactating women. Using the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund, the project will cover 140,000 malnourished pregnant and lactating women in the East. The implementation of this project reflects China's firm support for Timor-Leste's fight against the epidemic and disaster, and is of great significance in helping the Timorese government alleviate the increasingly serious problem of population malnutrition and promoting the development of Timor-Leste's economy and people's livelihood. He also said that China will continue to stand firmly with Timor-Leste, carry forward the traditional friendship, join hands to meet challenges, and deepen the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and practical cooperation in various fields.

   On behalf of the Timorese government, Minister Bello thanked China for its humanitarian assistance to Timor-Leste in the field of medical care and food security over the years, especially the emergency nutritional food aid provided to Timor-Leste under the current epidemic and disaster. It fits and satisfies the actual needs of the East, and is of great significance for alleviating food insecurity in the East and ensuring the health and safety of mothers and infants. She also said that, as a female minister, on behalf of women across Timor-Leste, she thanked China for its timely and generous assistance, and hoped to further increase cooperation in this regard in the future.

   Representative Liu Dageng thanked China for its generous donation to the East, and said that he would do a good job in implementing the project in accordance with the agreement signed between the Chinese government and the World Food Program.