Tajikistan - DHA: 27.Oct-02.Nov.97
Tajikistan - DHA: 27.Oct-02.Nov.97
UN-DHA
Tajikistan Humanitarian Situation Report
27 October - 2 November 1997
HIGHLIGHTS
- WHO organised a five-day malaria seminar in Dushanbe (27-31 October)
with experts coming from all parts of the country to discuss new
technology, treatment protocols and management procedures. The Ministry
of Health (MOH), supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) and WHO, convened an important regional workshop to
exchange information on health care reform policies from 28 to 30
October, with participants from the Russian Federation, Kazakstan,
Krygystan and Uzbekistan.
- The Prime Minister and Leader of Opposition jointly led a
inter-ministerial delegation on 31 October to 1 November to Garm and
Tavildara to assess overall needs.
- UNHCR continued repatriation of Tajik refugees from Sakhi camp via
Uzbekistan.
- Three civilians killed and several others were seriously injured in a
bus accident caused by an anti-tank mine on a road near Sagirdasht,
central Tajikistan. Another land mine accident was also reported in the
Shugno Valley (en route from Ciafark towards Sagirdasht).
OVERALL SITUATION
Several donor government missions visited Tajikistan over the period
showing increased interest in the peace a reconciliation process,
including a 10-person US State Department delegation, the Dutch Economic
Counselor from Moscow and a group of German parliamentarians. A donor
conference organised by the United Nations on international support to
peace and reconciliation is scheduled to take place in Vienna on 24-25
November.
Clashes between government troops and fighters allegedly supporting
Colonel Makhmoud Khudoberdiev were reported north west of Turzunzade
over the period, incurring significant losses on both sides and pointing
to continued unease between some factions.
AGRICULTURE
FAO held its monthly Agricultural Coordination Meeting (ACM) on 29
October. Statistics on the estimated cereal balance were discussed as
well as data on the various ongoing agricultural projects included in
the Aid Coordination Unit's database. With regard to planning priorities
for 1998, agencies considered that more attention should be paid to
rehabilitation of irrigation systems (possibly through food for work
(FFW) programmes), import of agricultural inputs and rehabilitation of
farm machinery, such as wheat processing machinery. The next ACM will be
on 26 November at 14:00 hours in the United Nations Office for Project
Services (UNOPS) meeting room.
FOOD AID AND LOGISTICS
WFP's evaluation mission arrived in Dushanbe on 29 October to review
WFP's food aid programme. At a meeting on 31 October with all
organisations involved in food-related activities, the recommendations
of ECHO survey (now finalised) were discussed, in particular the issue
of how to identify the most vulnerable-food insecure households. It was
agreed that more work haD to be done to unify existing beneficiary
categories, that food aid programmes should be linked to agricultural
production and, that where possible, efforts would be made to decrease
general food aid distribution in favour of FFW activities.
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International reports
that it has identified some 2,500 invalids and pensioners in the
district of Gissar, west of Dushanbe, who will receive three-month food
rations (based on the calculation of 200g flour and 15g vegetable oil
per day) in the second half of November. A total of 48.4 MTs of food,
supplied by WFP, will be distributed by ADRA which will work in
partnership with the local Department of social security and the local
authority (hukomat). Monitoring will take place during and after
distribution.
HEALTH
At the bi-weekly health coordination meeting on 27 October, a Ministry
of Health (MOH) official made a presentation on the status of current
health reform. Background on the reasons behind this reform (including
insufficient state budget and inadequate drug delivery system), and its
policy orientation (adopted programmes, possible sources of financing,
personnel management and drug policy) was provided. A pamphlet on the
proposed health reform strategy is now available in Russian from the
MOH, as is the MOH's health care strategy until the year 2005.
SHELTER
Further to the identification of various unresolved issues related to
the provision of shelter materials to both -old- and -recent- returnees
and other beneficiary categories, a weekly shelter coordination meeting
has been established, under the overall lead of Save the Children US,
and now meets each Monday at 3pm. UNHCR, CARITAS, SC-US, IOM and DHA
will regularly participate in this meeting.
SC-US reports that it has started to identify and assist recent
returnees (since May 1997) in Shartuz, Boktar and Vaksh with the aim of
helping 1,000 families build their houses to traditional ceiling level,
with additional plastic sheeting to help protect homes before the harsh
onset of winter in December. United States Department of Agriculture
(USDA) food will support this FFW project. It is expected that CARITAS
will cover the shelter needs in Kabodian.
WATER AND SANITATION
The IFRC reports that chlorine powder was supplied to the water
authority (Vadakanal) in Shartuz, Kabodian, Kofarnikhon, Leninsky,
Penjikent, and Turzunzade in the second half of October. Staff and
volunteers from the local Red Crescent Society branches monitored to
ensure that an adequate level of protection against typhoid was
maintained in the water supply systems.
In Dushanbe, the Public Health Campaign finished measuring water-wastage
in four districts. While in July when the water wastage was 954 litre
per household per day, the wastage measured in the same area over the
reporting period was 877 litre per household per day. Four more video
clips for dissemination in Dushanbe are being prepared, posters for
schools being produced and a number of articles have been published in a
local newspaper.
Correction to Week 42-43 Information Bulletin
The Updated UN Consolidated Inter-Agency Donor Alert for urgent
humanitarian needs for Tajikistan calls for USD 3.9 million (not USD 8.7
million as previously reported), to cover unmet needs until end 1997 and
to ensure continuity of programmes into 1998.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
United Nations Office - Dunshanbe
Mr. Paolo Lembo - Resident Coordinator
Ms. Sarah Longford
Tel.: (0073772) 23 05 86 - Fax: (0073772) 21 03 89
E-Mail: dha@taj.freenet.kiev.ua
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Ms. Sylvia Ferazzi
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1402 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr David Chikvaidze
Tel.: (1 212) 963.9665 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: chikvaidze@un.org
Press to contact (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856 - Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH - E-Mail: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org
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