Tajikistan - 03-16.Nov.97

DHA
TAJIKISTAN Humanitarian Situation Report
03-16 November 1997


HIGHLIGHTS
- UNHCR completed repatriation of Tajik refugees from Northern
Afghanistan during the reporting period. A total of 9,864 were
repatriated from Sherkhan Bandar (6,706 people) and Sakhi camp (3,158)
since resumption of the operation in July 1997. Majority of refugees
have returned to Shartuz, Kabodian, Bokhtar and Vaksh. Shelter for both
-old- and -recent- returnees continues to be of concern given the onset
of winter and thus the halt in house reconstruction.

- World Bank plans Emergency Recovery Credit to Tajikistan to the tune
of USD20 million.

- German parliamentarian delegation visited Garm and Shartuz and met
with local officials, UN Agencies and NGOs to review current situation
and priority needs.

- European Commission approved humanitarian aid to Tajikistan worth ECU
9 million to cover period until June 1998. ECHO's programme will
include: medical and food aid, rehabilitation of houses and local
production of clothes for children and coal bricks for schools.

- Report of the Secretary General on the situation in Tajikistan issued
on 5 November(S/1997/859). Security Council adopted Resolution 1138
(1997) on 14 November and extended the mandate of UNMOT until 15 May
1998.

OVERALL SITUATION
A continued high level of external interest in Tajikistan characterised
the period with many visiting delegations assessing possible areas for
support in the implementation of the peace process. However, the
security situation in Tursunzade was reported tense and a number of
small explosions, hostages and murders of Tajik civilians were reported
in and around Dushanbe. The Ministries of Security and Interior warned
the international community about the possibility of further terrorist
acts including international hostage taking. Given the unstable security
situation east of Dushanbe, the NGO Shelter Now International withdrew
its international staff from Kofarnikhon but its programme - micro
concrete tile production - continued through local staff. In all other
parts of the country, humanitarian activities continued as normal.

On 14 November, the Security Council met and agreed to the expansion of
the UN Mission of Observers (UNMOT) in order to assist in the
implementation of the 27 June General Agreement on the establishment of
peace and national accord in Tajikistan. The number of military
observers will increase from 45 to 120 and the mission's civilian
component will be strengthened. Under its expanded mandate, UNMOT will,
inter alia, monitor the assembly of the United Tajik Opposition
combatants and their reintegration, disarmament and demobilisation as
well as assist in their reintegration into governmental power structure
or demobilisation of ex-combatants. UNMOT will also coordinate UN
assistance to Tajikistan during the transition period.

Following the World Bank mission to Tajikistan in September, and in
response to the Government's request, the World Bank has decided to
initiate two simultaneous operations: a Post-Conflict Rehabilitation
Credit of USD10 million to help the Government face immediate general
budgetary constraints arising from the peace agreement implementation
and social protection needs, and a Post-Conflict Assistance
Reconstruction, also of USD10 million, to address the specific needs for
repair and reconstruction of transport and social infrastructure and
redevelopment of agriculture in the Karategin Valley.

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which approved a proposal to
start a multi-sectoral programme in the Garm region in July 1997, has
given the lead to the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the Mountain
Societies Development Support programme (MSDSP - formerly the Pamir
Relief and Development Programme or PRDP). The basic aim of the
programme is to help Darband (ex-Komsomolabad), Garm, Tajikabad,
Jirgital and Tavilidara districts to become self-sufficient in food
production - primarily potatoes and wheat - using the agriculture reform
strategy adopted by the AKF/MSDSP in Gorno Badakshan, While the
agricultural reform programme is being implemented over the next few
years, AKF will also provide some basic emergency health assistance in
the health and education sectors. Galoshes (12,000 pairs) and winter
boots (6,000 pairs) have been provided to school girls in the five
districts this winter, and, in cooperation with German Agro Action and
local administrations, coal has been provided to all schools in the
region.

AGRICULTURE
Since the start of the AKDN programme in the Garm region in July 1997,
250 ha of land have been privatised by the district administration and
195 farmers have taken management responsibility for the same. AKF/MSDSP
have imported and provided 40 MTs of high quality wheat seeds as well as
appropriate fertiliser.

Over the period, the French NGO ACTED, in collaboration with WFP,
finalised its survey on -Family agriculture in the Khatlon region.-
ACTED has worked with WFP during 1997 providing technical training for
its food-for-work (FFW) land lease programmes as well as organising
complementary canal clearing. The survey focused on analysing progress
in the process of privatisation of agriculture in Khatlon and different
forms of access to land, components of agricultural household production
and incomes related to agricultural production within the budgets of
rural households.

ACTED aims in 1998 to continue providing technical support to WFP's land
lease project and to support small farmer organisations in Khatlon
province through rehabilitation of the irrigation and drainage system
when urgent needs arise, provision of necessary inputs (seeds,
fertilisers and small agricultural equipment).

FOOD AID
The WFP Evaluation team, on mission in Tajikistan from 29 October to 15
November to assess the impact of WFP's food relief and rehabilitation
assistance, presented its basic findings at a special food aid
coordination meeting on 14 November. The main issues explored by the
mission were:

- future strategies for WFP assistance with an emphasis on FFW as an
instrument to phase down relief distribution
- targeting and beneficiary selection (frequency of need to revise
beneficiary lists, vulnerability concepts) as per the  European
Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) June survey recommendation,
- identification and selection of FFW activities and need for non-food
inputs,
- regularity and reliability of the food pipeline and labour division
and complementarity between food aid providers,
- scope of monitoring and evaluation and need to increase involvement of
Government, communities and beneficiary representatives.

The mission found that WFP's current emergency operation which runs
through to 31 March 1998 was covering 87 percent of the original number
of identified beneficiaries, i.e., 436,965 out of a planning figure of
500,000.

IFRC reports that during the first half of November, more than 100 MTs
of food was distributed to approx. 3,000 beneficiaries in Railway and
October rayons of Dushanbe as part of its programme to improve living
conditions for vulnerable elderly people in the capital. Preparation is
underway for opening the last distribution point for this programme in
Kofarnighon.

HEALTH
At the health coordination meeting held on 10 November, several NGOs
raised the disturbing issue that many patients going to first
aid/obstetrical stations (FAPs) and rural medical ambulatories (SVAs)
for treatment have to pay for the drugs that have been donated by
humanitarian organisations. It was agreed that better information
exchange between international organisations, Ministry of Health
officials and beneficiaries about where and what donated drugs are being
distributed is at least one concrete measure that agencies can start
implementing in an effort to prevent humanitarian aid being sold.

The Ministry of Health, together with the BASICS project/USAID and
UNICEF, conducted a -Mopping-up Immunisation for Polio Eradication-
campaign over the period. The MOH convened a workshop on 1 November to
work out detailed operational planning for the campaign.

ICRC has commenced a new health programme in Ciafark, North of Khavaling
which includes training of local health staff and provision of
assistance to the local hospital. ICRC will visit Garm and Tavildara and
carry out an assessment on health needs. PSF visited Garm during the
period and reported lack of medicines, beds, linen and food in the
hospital.

The Federation (IFRC) held three first aid seminars in Kurghan Teppe and
Dushanbe during the reporting period as part of its Community based
First Aid Programme (CBFA). IFRC plans to include a new component on
drug awareness, with the governmental Commission of Drug Control, in the
existing Public Health Campaign.

Following a study of malaria incidences in Bokhtar, carried out in
collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Relief International from
August to September 1997, MERLIN reports that there are a considerable
number of new malaria cases in Bokhtar compared with previous years,
that there is some evidence that falciparum malaria exists among
indigenous, non-transient population and that recognition of this type
of malaria is problematic given the current level of laboratory
training. MERLIN recommends for 1998: strengthened clinical and
laboratory diagnosis of malaria in Tajikistan, and implementation of
vector control measures, such as draining of ditches, clearing of
potential mosquito-breeding sites and use of impregnated bed-nets.

EDUCATION
The AKF has ordered emergency education supplies for schools in the five
districts of Garm region. Exercise books, pens, pencils, black board
paint, chalk etc. have been ordered and are expected to arrive in
country shortly.

SHELTER
Shelter coordination meetings continued over the period with the
participation of SNI, UNHCR, SC-US, DHA, ECHO, CARITAS and IOM. It was
agreed in principle that agencies working in the shelter programme will
concentrate themselves in certain geographical locations. CARITAS will
work in Kabodian, Kumsangir, Pianj and Jilkul whereas SC-US will
concentrate on Shartuz, Kolkhozabad, Vaksh, Bokhtar and Kurghan Teppe
districts. SNI will collaborate with SC-US, wherever possible.

RELIEF ITEMS
The ICRC, in conjunction with the Tajik Red Crescent Society, started
distribution of clothes to vulnerable groups throughout the country over
the reporting period. A total of 423 bales of knitted tops (jumpers) for
children aged 2-10 years, donated by the British Red Cross Society and
259 bales of used clothes donated by the Danish and Finnish Red Cross
Societies will be distributed through this programme using Red Crescent
branches. The beneficiaries will have to belong to at least one of the
following categories: for children's clothes, children in families
without breadwinners, in families taking care of orphans, children in
orphanages/institutions or invalid and sick children. For adult clothes,
invalids and pensioners and most vulnerable families according to the
Red Crescent branch and local authorities.

NATURAL DISASTER MITIGATION
The Final Report and the Resolution and Recommendations from the
Regional Scientific Conference on the Problems and possible solutions of
Lake Seraz held in Dushanbe 9-11 October 1997 are now available from the
IOM office. The recommendations include: the expansion of the existing
Joint Directorate of Lake Sarez under the State Committee on Emergencies
(SCE) to unify and coordinate activity of ministries and organisations
involved with Lake Sarez issues, the establishment of a scientific
department involving experts from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan,
Russian Federation and other interested countries to implement a
programme of systematic conditions control of the Usoi barrage (dam) and
the landslide prone slops of Lake Sarez.

RESOURCE MOBILISATION
ECHO announced the breakdown of its ECU 9.8 million humanitarian aid
programme to Tajikistan until mid 1998. The following organisations will
benefit from European Commissions funding:

Medical programmes
Netherlands Red Cross	   600,000
PSF					 1,000,000
MERLIN				   575,000
MSF-France			   170,000

Food Aid programmes
WFP					 1,800,000
GAA					 2,450,000
Finnish red Cross		   210,000
Swedish red Cross		   870,000
AKF					   450,000

Miscellaneous
Caritas-Switzerland		   595,000
ACTED				   180,000

REFUGEE RELATED ISSUES
On 15 November, UNHCR completed the repatriation of Tajik refugees from
Northern Afghanistan with the final group of refugees returning from
Sakhi camp, near the town of Mazar I Sharif. Although official
repatriation for Tajiks from camps in Afghanistan has finished, UNHCR is
prepared to help any Tajik individual Tajik who might remain in Afghan
territory and who wants to repatriate. Meanwhile, UNHCR has initiated a
survey, in collaboration with IOM, of the extent of the other Tajik
refugees in CIS countries, mainly in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and
Kyrgyzstan.

OTHER ISSUES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- An UN Women's Fund (UNIFEM) project formulation mission visited
Tajikistan from 6-20 November to support the efforts of women in the
national peace building process in Tajikistan. Four main areas of
intervention were proposed: 1) on the political level: the creation of a
3-member advisory group to provide advice and recommendations to the
CNR. 2) institutional capacity building support to strengthen a woman's
centre in Dushanbe 3) media campaign: to educate women and communities
about women's rights and 4) fielding of an international project
coordinator. Partial funds are already available from the Swedish
Government (USD 200,000) but additional funds are now needed to
facilitate project implementation.

- Ministry of Interior's Militia school organised a conference in
Dushanbe on 4 November to discuss general characteristics, content and
importance of the Tajik Constitution.

- A technical mission of the Islamic Development bank (IDB) was fielded
to Tajikistan from 5-12 November and on 7 November, the president of the
IDB and the President of Tajikistan signed agreements on the provision
of a loan for the Republican Centre for Cardiovascular and Thoracic
Surgery and for the reconstruction of 20 schools in Khatlon, Leninsky,
Faizabad and Hissar districts.
- A joint UN International Drug Control Programme (UNDSCP)/Crime
Prevention and Crime Justice Department (CPCJD) mission visited
Tajikistan from 1-10 November.

This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int

United Nations Office - Dushanbe
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.Katarina Toll Velasquez
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