OCHA Situation Report No. 40
Tajikistan
21 November 2003


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

General

Over 1,000 patients were hospitalised in Dushanbe with suspected Typhoid;
many more were treated in their homes. Heavy rains caused contamination of
a major city drinking water source, with further rains hampering control
efforts. The source of the outbreak was chlorinated by the Ministry of
Health, who mobilized teams to conduct house-to-house health education
campaigns, and to identify infected persons. International response came
from the German Embassy, IFRC, Merlin, OCHA, PSF, UNICEF, WHO and WFP

The first seasonal snows in Dushanbe brought temporary power cuts and
disruption to many parts of the city. The main road linking Dushanbe to
Sughd Region and one to Gorno Badakshan were officially declared closed
for the winter

National minimum monthly wage and pension will increase by 25% from
January 2004 to 7 TJS (US$ 2.3)

Drugs - Almost 7 tons (of which 4.5 tons heroin) seized in the first 9
months of 2003 compared to just over 4 tons (of which 2.5 tons heroin) for
the same period last year

International Aid flow - Government Aid Coordination Unit reports US$
96.7m in first 9-months of the year

Two people were killed and three injured in related landmine incidents on
the Northern Tajik-Uzbek border

Visits and events

Major political visits included; The Prime Minister of India, whose visit
corresponded with a trade fair highlighting Indian products; The Prime
Minister of Turkey, who announced plans for cooperation in the hydropower
sector

A preparatory follow up meeting to the Consultative Group of donors to
Tajikistan back in May was held in Dushanbe. Plans were announced for a
further follow up meeting in 2004, to be held in London. At the May
conference pledges of US$ 900 million were made for the next three years

ECHO held a workshop on 'Linking Relief, Rehabilitation and Development'.
ECHO will remain in Tajikistan, slowly reducing humanitarian support until
2007, whilst scaling-up other EC instruments. In 2003 ECHO has provided
EUR 10 Million to support projects in water, health and food security

Visiting IMF Managing Director, Horst Köhler welcomed the recent
restructuring of the National Bank, and commitments to increase national
expenditure on health and education in 2004, he also voiced concern that
inflation remains too high and that there is a need to improve the quality
of public sector spending. He urged intensified reform efforts in all
financial sectors

ADB President, Tadao Chino officially opened the Resident Mission in
Tajikistan. ADB loans total US$ 180m to date. A further US$ 100m of loans
are planned in the next three years

Health news

The Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria gave preliminary
approval to a Tajik application for US$ 1.5m over the next 2 years, in
support of national tuberculosis control efforts

PSF completed bumper drug distributions to health facilities in three
mountainous areas of the country, where access is expected to be all but
impossible through the winter

CAP

The 2004 UN Consolidated Interagency Appeal (CAP) for Tajikistan was
officially launched at an event hosted by ECHO, in Brussels on 19
November. The appeal seeks US$ 53.7m for the coming year to address acute
humanitarian needs, while building national capacities and fostering
economic recovery at central and regional levels. Over the last three
years the CAP has enabled the UN system to deliver US$ 120m of
humanitarian assistance. A local launch event is planned in early December

UNITED NATIONS
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

United Nations, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Aini 39, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Tel/fax: (992) 372 21 78 27 / 21 06 70
E-mail: ocha.tj@undp.org


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