IRIN
TAJIKISTAN: Avalanche damage estimated at US $3 million
16 February 2005


[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United 
Nations]

ANKARA, 16 February (IRIN) - The damage caused by a spate of avalanches 
that hit Tajikistan over the past two weeks is estimated to be around US 
$3 million, according to the Tajik emergency ministry.

"Based on preliminary estimates, the damage is currently estimated to be 
some $3 million," Abdurakhim Rajabov, deputy emergency minister, told 
IRIN from the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, on Wednesday.

Jamilya Tilloeva, a ministry spokeswoman, told IRIN that the number of 
casualties stood at 12, including two children.

Their remarks came after a wave of more than 400 avalanches caused by 
heavy snowstorms hit eastern, central and southern parts of the 
mountainous country. The eastern Gorno-Badakshan region, the Rasht 
Valley and Nurabad district in central Tajikistan, and the eastern 
Tavildara district were among the worst affected, Rajabov said.

"More than 2,800 people were evacuated because of the avalanche threat 
in Nurabad district," Tilloeva said. "Clean-up work is still under way 
there and some local residents have started to move back to areas which 
are now safe to return to."

According to the emergency ministry, almost 300 buildings were damaged 
and some 100 completely destroyed.

The United Nations Coordination Unit (UNCU) in Tajikistan reported that 
key areas in mountainous parts continued to be cut off from the rest of 
the country. For such areas, all roads are blocked and all communication 
lines are down, the UNCU said.

"Within these regions, numerous villages are completely isolated from 
each other. A lack of information from and assessment of the situation 
in the affected areas is still a problem," it added.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) 
reported on Friday that Dushanbe had requested assistance from the UN 
following the natural disaster, with current needs including food, fuel, 
tents, clothing, blankets and construction materials.

Tajikistan is prone to various natural disasters, including earthquakes, 
landslides, floods, avalanches and drought. In 2003, 120 incidents of 
flooding, avalanches and landslides were recorded in the country as well 
as 12 significant earthquakes, according to the European Commission 
Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).

Natural disasters have killed about 2,500 people and affected some 5.5 
million (almost 10 percent of the total population) in Central Asia over 
the past decade, ECHO said.


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
2005

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