Donate to support Timor-Leste
Floods, landslides and droughts increasingly threaten homes and crops in Timor-Leste. Nearly 70% of people live in rural areas and depend on land for their livelihoods. And although the country is rich in oil and gas, that wealth hasn’t always reached those who need it most.
Inequality between rural and urban communities is growing, alongside rising food insecurity and unemployment. Despite this, with your support, the Timorese people are developing locally-led solutions amidst the climate emergency. They draw on deep community strength to challenge and reshape long-held systems.
When you donate to Timor-Leste, you’re standing up for justice (not charity) and helping people shape more reliable livelihoods for generations to come.
Why your support matters in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste is one of Asia’s newest nations, still rebuilding systems after generations of conflict and instability. Almost 70% of people live far from services like healthcare, markets and secondary schools (limiting their opportunity and income).
The country also faces acute climate risks. Floods, landslides and droughts regularly threaten crops, roads and homes. In the 2021 World Risk Index, Timor-Leste ranked among the 20 most at-risk countries globally, due to its exposure to climate extremes and, critically, limited infrastructure capacity.
Timor-Leste is rich in oil and gas. Unfortunately, the economic benefits aren’t always shared equitably. Rural families (especially women and young people) often face insecure land rights, rising food prices, and limited employment options.
Food insecurity, unemployment and gender-based violence remain widespread concerns. But change is underway.
With support from Oxfam and local partners, communities are organising around land rights, building stronger accountability with local government, and developing practical ways to prepare before disasters strike. Women and young people are taking on bigger roles in community decision-making and economic diversification. Your donation to Timor-Leste strengthens this momentum.
How Oxfam is working in Timor-Leste
Oxfam works alongside Timorese organisations to strengthen land rights, expand economic opportunity, and build community-led disaster preparedness. Our focus is long-term change that keeps people safe, informed and in control of their futures.
Preparing before disasters strike
As part of the Australian Government’s AHP Disaster READY program, the people of Timor-Leste are strengthening their capacity to prepare for extreme weather events like floods, landslides and cyclones.
Supported by Oxfam and local partners, the focus is on community-level planning, emergency coordination and early-warning systems.
This work sits alongside the Anticipatory Action initiative, which supports national and local authorities to take early steps — such as pre-positioning supplies or activating preparedness committees — based on reliable climate and weather triggers.
Supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP).
Elevating young voices in rural development
The HAKFOUN II – Strengthening Inclusive Youth Voices and Creativity project encourages young people to take part in shaping Timor-Leste’s economic diversification. It brings together government, civil society and development partners to promote inclusive rural development that works for everyone.
Across all of this work, the approach is the same: practical, community-led action that strengthens systems and builds equitable opportunity.
Key focus areas
Why choose Oxfam
We work alongside local leaders and organisations in Timor-Leste who understand the challenges and the solutions. When you support Oxfam with a donation for Timor-Leste, you’re backing:
Local partnerships
Every program is grounded in community knowledge and led by local organisations.
Long-term resilience
From climate advocacy to disaster preparation, we focus on lasting impact (not just emergency relief).
Proven accountability
As a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Oxfam follows the highest standards of transparency and effectiveness.
A regional approach
Our work in Timor-Leste is part of a wider strategy, ensuring solutions are shared, connected and led by the Asia-Pacific region itself.
Justice over charity
We support communities to lead their own future. It’s not about charity. It’s about fairness, dignity and equal rights.
How your donation helps
Every donation to Oxfam supports community-led programs in Timor-Leste. Here’s what your support can help make possible:
- Stronger disaster preparedness — through community-led planning, early warning systems, and local training
- Support for women and youth leaders — especially in climate advocacy and community organising
- Access to clean water and sanitation — critical during disasters and for long-term health
- Local climate solutions — like food security programs, sustainable livelihoods, and community education
- Stronger local advocacy — helping local groups influence national policy
- Stronger regional advocacy — helping communities amplify their voices on the global stage
Your donation is more than a moment of support. It’s a commitment to a more just and resilient future for Timor-Leste.
Donate to Timor-Leste now
Help us work for justice and equality. For the right to share in profits from national exports, earn a reliable income and have access to clean water and a viable food network (especially as climate shocks occur more frequently).
By donating to Timor-Leste today, you’re standing behind local leadership and communities facing climate extremes head-on. Every contribution helps provide practical tools, long-term support, and builds better systems for the future.
Donate now to support climate action and economic justice in Timor-Leste.
Learn more about Oxfam’s work in the region
Want to understand the bigger picture? Explore how Oxfam works across the Asia-Pacific region to support community-led climate action and push for global systems that put justice first.
Discover Oxfam’s climate justice work. Read about how we’re working with partners across the globe to support more just climate solutions. Or learn more about economic inequality — what it is and how we work to reduce it.
You can explore our current appeals or learn more about how we work in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea.
Oxfam’s partners in Timor-Leste
Oxfam’s AHP Disaster Ready project in Timor-Leste is supported by: (TLS) Binibi Faef Nome (BIFANO), (TLS) Kdadalek Sulimutuk Institute (KSI), (TLS) Mata Dalan Institute (MDI), (TLS) Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO), Youth in Action Towards Sustainability Y-ACTS, (TLS) Masine Neo Oe-Cusse (MANEO), Asosiasaun Futuru Foinsa’e ba Sustentabilidade (AFFOS), Oxfam in Timor-Leste.
Anticipatory Action in Timor-Leste is supported by: (TLS) Binibi Faef Nome (BIFANO)
HAKFOUN II is supported by: (TLS) Mata Dalan Institute (MDI), Oxfam in Timor-Leste, (TLS) The Youth Parliament Alumni
Land Rights Project in Timor-Leste is supported by: (TLS) Core Group Transparency (CGT), (TLS) Juristus Advocay (JA), (TLS) Kdadalek Sulimutuk Institute (KSI), (TLS) Mata Dalan Institute (MDI), (TLS) Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO), (TLS) Rede Ba Rai, (TLS) Forum Komunikasaun ba Feto Timor-Leste (FOKUPERS), (TLS) ASOSIASAUN CHEGA! BA ITA (ACbit)
HAKBIIT in Timor-Leste (ANCP) (TLS-0053)
Open the books II (ANCP) (TLS-0071)
