Aid group Church World Service says climate change has helped push malnutrition in West Timor to levels higher than in Africa. A survey of 4,800 households by the group found 61.1 per cent of children under five in the region were stunted due to chronic malnutrition, while 13.1 per cent of children were acutely malnourished.

It says about 50 per cent of West Timorese children – out of a total population of up to two million – were moderately or severely underweight, compared to a figure of 21.9 per cent in Africa overall.

The lead author of the report, Julia Suryantan says it's a complex situation in West Timor, they have a food security problem and also limited access to health services

Ms Suryantan says country faces declining rainfall due to climate change and higher global food prices mean many families can't afford to buy enough to eat.