At a glance
- 162 disasters in 2009
- 360 volunteers trained on human rights in disaster situations
- More Afghan refugees flee to Tajikistan
- Over 2.2 million children vaccinated
- Conference on Disaster Risk Management in Central Asia, 7-8 October
Current issues
162 disasters in 2009
The Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CoES) reports that Tajikistan was hit by 162 disasters during the first nine months of 2009. Forty-four people perished and the damage incurred is estimated at $ 22 million. Close to 40,000 ha of cultivated land was affected. While the spring floods and mudflows caused the worst destruction, calamities also included earthquakes, avalanches, mudslides and epidemics.
For more information: jjk@list.ru
Response activities
360 volunteers trained on rights in disasters
Over the last four months, CoES and Oxfam have trained 360 volunteers on the human rights of disaster victims in 36 villages in Kulyab and surrounding districts, about 150 km south-east of Dushanbe. The training sessions helped to make communities aware of their rights and the legal obligations of government and other stakeholders to provide services and protection when disasters occur. The program included practical information on entitlements and contact lists; communities were exhorted to prepare for and respond to emergency situations such as fires, floods and earthquakes.
Community mobilizers, CoES trainers and Oxfam experts trained 10 members of the Village Emergency Groups in each village, up to half of them women. The volunteers were selected by the community and had already taken part in other trainings, including first aid and disaster risk reduction planning. Each participant will, in turn, share the acquired knowledge and skills with at least five other members of the community.
Training session on human rights in Temurmalik | Oxfam
The trainings were part of Oxfam's Disaster Risk Reduction program, funded by the European Commission Humanitarian aid Office (ECHO).
For more information: maliberdieva@oxfam.org.uk
More Afghan refugees flee to Tajikistan
Over the past few years, more than 4,000 Afghans have sought refuge in neighboring Tajikistan, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Though there has been a continuous inflow of refugees, the number of people crossing the border to flee the insecurity at home has been steadily increasing in 2009. While 1,361 people were registered as refugees or asylum seekers in the whole of 2008, the Tajik Ministry of Interior has already registered over 2,200 new arrivals until the end of September this year. The inflow shows no sign of abating as the security situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate.
Most Afghans flee their home country with their entire family. UNHCR provides various types of assistance to the most vulnerable among them, including female-headed households, single women, and families with disabled or elderly members. They receive a modest monthly allowance for up to six months, free medical care, blankets, clothes and means of heating during winter.
For more information: gubaeva@unhcr.org
