A/HRC/20/25/Add.1 remains among the least developed economies in the region, ranking 147th out of 187 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. 1 The intergenerational transmission of poverty continues; according to the World Bank’s 2009 projections, at least 41 per cent of the population live below the poverty line, 2 roughly the same percentage as in 2001.3 7. The extent and depth of poverty in Timor-Leste is even more severe than the income poverty statistics suggest. According to the Multidimensional Poverty Index, which identifies multiple deprivations in households with respect to education, health and standard of living, 68 per cent of the population in Timor-Leste suffer from multiple deprivations, and an additional 18 per cent are vulnerable. 4 Food insecurity affects up to 70 per cent of households during the ―lean season‖ from December to February, 5 exacerbating the poor nutritional status of women and, in particular, children, 58 per cent of whom suffer from chronic malnutrition.6 8. Access to adequate water and sanitation facilities remains poor, particularly in rural areas, where approximately 43 per cent of households do not have access to clean water and 74 per cent of households do not have access to improved sanitation. 7 While the Government reports that about two thirds of the population has access to drinking water, 8 the Special Rapporteur received information that poor water quality implies that only a very small percentage of Timorese have access to safe drinkable water, and many must walk considerable distances to obtain it. The lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities contributes to illnesses among children, including diarrhoea, one of the leading causes of death of children under 5 years old.9 9. Income inequality has risen significantly. Disaggregated data reveals that the 75 per cent of Timorese people who live in rural areas suffer disproportionately from poverty and disadvantage. The disparities between those who live in Dili, 71 per cent of whom fall within the highest wealth quintile in Timor-Leste, and those who live in rural areas, are stark: rural populations experience far higher rates of chronic income poverty and food insecurity, and far lower health and education outcomes. Insufficient infrastructure impedes travel, communication and access to information, and the concentration of decision-making 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Human Development Report 2011— Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All, ―Explanatory note on 2011 HDR composite indices: Timor-Leste‖, p. 2. Available from http://hdrstats.undp.org/images/explanations/TLS.pdf. World Bank, ―A 2009 update of poverty incidence in Timor-Leste using the Survey-to-Survey Imputation Method‖. The national poverty line was defined as US$ 0.88 per capita per day in 2007. International Monetary Fund, ―Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste: Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper—National Development Plan, Road Map for Implementation of National Development Plan, Overview of Sector Investment Programs—Strategies and Priorities for the Medium Term‖ (2005), p. 33. UNDP, ―Explanatory note‖ (note 1 above), p. 4. UNDP, Timor-Leste Human Development Report 2011, p. 52; Timor-Leste Strategic Development Plan 2011-2030, p. 109; World Food Programme, ―Timor-Leste: coping with seasonal food shortages‖, 1 April 2010; Oxfam Australia, ―Timor-Leste Food Security Baseline Survey Report‖, 2007, pp. 4–5. Strategic Development Plan, p. 40; National Statistics Directorate, Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2009-10 (Dili, 2010), p. 150; UNDP, Timor-Leste Human Development Report, p. 52. The most common strategies of coping with food shortage are eating less preferred or cheaper food, and reducing meal size and the number of meals (Oxfam Australia, ―Baseline Survey‖, pp. 34–35). Highlights of the 2010 Census Main Results in Timor-Leste. See also Demographic and Health Survey, p. xxxi. Timor-Leste, Millennium Development Goals 2010 booklet (Dili, 2010), p. 34. Demographic and Health Survey, pp. 139-140. 5