With homes washed away, roads and infrastructure damaged, and thousands now homeless, the people of Timor-Leste need your help. The Carmelites are providing food, water and clothing to those affected and our students are helping to clean and rebuild houses. Many people have lost everything. Please donate at: https://timor-floods-emergency-appeal.raisely.com/

“Many of our neighbours and people in Hera have suffered great damage; some lost their whole houses, others all their belongings. Many have no food or water to drink and only the clothes they are wearing.

Many of the children who participate in our Carmelite youth group have lost all their belongings including their house, school items and of course have no useable food.

The past few days we have been going out and helping with some rice, noodles etc. Today we will do so again and help to clean as some are waist deep in mud and rebuild broken houses. 

In Dili it has been worse; rivers flooded and houses washed away. The COVID virus has been increasing daily but because of the floods, social distancing is impossible as many people have moved into schools and convents together. We are in our second month of lockdown. However, the damage from the floods is a more urgent problem as many places have no electricity, water, toilets and no food; and many people have little money as many have had no work for six weeks or so.”

Fr Bruce Clark O.Carm

In Tasitolu, a suburb in the west of the capital, Dili, Batista Elo balances his young daughter on his hip as he stands in flood waters that reach up his thighs.

“I saved my family first and after that just got into the belongings, but there were some things that didn’t get saved,” recalls Batista of the wild Saturday night when his home was suddenly flooded.

“Now I have no place to live. I am staying temporarily at my brother’s house,” he said.

Batista is one of thousands who have been left homeless in Timor-Leste

Photograph: Antonio Dasiparu/EPA

Source: www.theguardian.com