As Timor-Leste moves into its fourth month of emergency, humanitarian aid workers fear that malnutrition could spread, said the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which is working to ensure that the country’s youngest citizens receive adequate nutrition.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s Special Representative in Timor-Leste today called for calm and for the observance of the rule of law to allow justice to take its course in dealing with the outbreak of violence in April that forced tens of thousands of people in the small country to flee their homes.

Following the recent deadly violence in Timor-Leste, in which 155,000 people were forced to flee their homes, it is important for the international community to realize that the tiny nation needs a sustained, long-term commitment, a United Nations envoy said today after briefing the Security Council on his recent assessment mission to the country.

Seeking to restore calm in Timor-Leste and boost the rule of law in the country it ushered to independence from Indonesia just four years ago, the United Nations today presented the new prime minister with a report covering key issues such as the fight against corruption, ethical behaviour by officials and freedom of information.