Alert

15/2008 - Tajikistan

Severe winter freezing and energy crisis

Geneva, 15 February 2008

Christian Aid, a member of the Ecumenical Consortium of Central Asia (ECCA)- and of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International alliance- reports that Tajikistan is experiencing its harshest winter in three decades with unusually low temperatures. The cold weather over the last months and the ensuing shortage of electricity has crippled the population, particularly in urban areas which depend on electricity for heating, cooking and water supply. Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable people being hit by these conditions. The worst affected areas include the larger cities of Dushanbe (approx. 600,000 population), Kulyab (approx. 170,000 population), and Khujand (approx. 154,600 population). Smaller towns affected are Kurgan-tube, Chkalovsk, Gafurov, Taboshar, Spitamen, Kayrakkum.

Many antiquated water lines have broken or become frozen or clogged, which has had a major impact on the availability of water for the past seven days. The Dushanbe water company has warned of the risk of epidemics if a minimum electricity supply to operate the city's water system cannot be maintained. In Khojand and Kulyab, some people are using ditches as toilets as water systems are not working. Sub-zero temperatures and water shortages may be expected to continue. As a result of heavy snowfalls, roads between several districts are blocked, which has also reduced local supplies of food and other basic commodities. According to media reports, 303 babies and 12 young women have died as a result of this situation over the last month (Source: Asia Plus).

While national infrastructure remains largely unaffected and the Tajik government has not formally announced a crisis, government funds to respond in all areas are believed to be insufficient. The World Health Organization (WHO), together with other agencies, has identified critical food and non-food items that, if distributed in a timely manner to the most vulnerable of households and institutions, may serve to mitigate against immediate, life threatening conditions. These items include wheat flour and vegetable oil in particular, warm clothes for children and the elderly, blankets and sleeping mats, jerry cans for carrying and storing water, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, fuel (such as coal), generators, generator fuel, and medicines. Other responses are expected to include direct cash disbursements for household purchases of needed food and non-food items from local markets and cash for work programs.

Local partner organizations of the Ecumenical Consortium of Central Asia (ECCA) are planning initial relief assistance of food in urban areas, woodstoves and coal to schools and hospitals, information campaigns on the dangers related to using wood/coal burning stoves in homes, and seeds for rural communities whose crops have been destroyed by frost. Their planned assistance includes communities they are working with through the ongoing ACT appeal for community-based disaster risk reduction (ASCE71). Their ground assessments of the needs are still in progress. Other agencies responding with relief assistance include UNICEF, the Japanese government, Save the Children Fund, and the International Federation of the Red Cross.

The ACT International Coordinating Office expects an appeal to be forthcoming from Christian Aid as lead agency for the Ecumenical Consortium of Central Asia. Christian Aid is planning to allocate funding for relief assistance ahead of the expected appeal's issue, which would also be incorporated into said appeal.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.