Tajikistan - DHA: 01-15.Dec.97
Tajikistan - DHA: 01-15.Dec.97
DHAGVA
TAJIKISTAN
Humanitarian Situation Report 1 - 15 December 1997
HIGHLIGHTS
- The eighth session of the Majlis-i Oli (Parliament) started on Friday
12 December and lasted for two days. Through a motion put forward by the
General Prosecutor, eight parliamentarians accused of having
participated in an attempted overthrow of the government (including
Yaghub Salimov the former chairman of the Customs Committee), were
stripped of their immunities and criminal charges were to be brought
against them. The 1998 budget announcing total revenues of 129 billion
Tajik Roubles and total expenditures of 160 billion Tajik Roubles was
ratified by the Assembly. The draft law allowing constitutional
amendment was not adopted. During the presidential speech, Mr. Imom Ali
Rahminov informed the Parliament that the allocation of posts to the new
(UTO) members of the government would take place by way of presidential
decrees. He also praised the power ministries for their performance in
combating terrorism although he also announced cuts in the number of
civil servants and demanded reductions in personal guards protecting top
officials. The President emphasized the importance of the 1100th
anniversary celebration of the Samanide empire programmed for 1998 as a
crucial element in Tajik national unity and a festivity for the whole of
Central Asia.
- Teheran hosted a summit of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference
from December 9 to 11, 1997. Mr. Imom Ali Rahminov headed the Tajik
delegation among 55 other countries represented and forwarded a
resolution for economic assistance to Tajikistan. The President met with
many heads of state including those of Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi
Arabia.
- According to Government statistics cotton production in Tajikistan
rose around 15 percent in 1997 (360,000 MTs of raw cotton) over 1996.
The rise was due to increasing foreign investment. One of the largest
foreign investors has been Credit Suisse in 1997.
OVERALL SITUATION
Rezvon Sadirov and a number of his followers were encircled in the
outskirts of Dushanbe and killed by the security forces on 2 December
1997. His corpse was identified by his wife and mother. The dead body of
one of the Tajik hostages, Mr. Tabarov, the director of a meat
processing factory, who had been taken by the Rezvon's gang in October,
was found in a camp 20 kms north of Dushanbe. His son, also a hostage,
was discovered alive in a house abandoned by the group.
A dawn to dusk curfew continued to be imposed in Dushanbe for all UN
staff and only essential travel in Dushanbe during day time was
recommended. Many international organisations continued with reduced
staff and scaled down operations. Some diplomatic missions still advised
their citizens to temporarily depart Dushanbe until the security
situation became clearer.
AGRICULTURE
Care has started potato seed distribution in Leninsky to support 740
private farmers who receive credits in seeds and fertilisers for winter.
The organisation is also preparing for the General Conference of Farmers
Associations in Leninsky (Dehqon) in March 1988.
HEALTH
PSF carried out a general monitoring of hospitals in central district
hospitals in Kurgan Teppa (Kabodian, Jilikul, Bokhtar and Sarband). PSF
also report that general and medical monitoring on typhoid was carried
out in Leninsky, Shahrino, Tursunzade.
MSF Holland finished winterisation of two psychiatric hospitals in
Leninski (220 beds) and Isfara (150 beds) furnishing them with window
panes and heating as both institutions host patients living in the
hospital all year round.
UNFPA announced that its total supplies of medical equipment to
Tajikistan in 1997 amounted to USD 135,947.
ICRC sent a medical team to Gharm in order to evaluate the possibility
of launching medical programmes in the area.
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS/ECOLOGY
IOM has completed the resettlement of the entire village of Shing (70 km
from Panjekent) from their previous mountainous residence where the
inhabitants (50 households) were exposed to regular rock, mud and land
slides. The new settlement and its inhabitants have been furnished with
housing, electricity and water through a joint input of SC/US (food for
work), Shelter Now (roofing material) and the local Hukumat.
REFUGEE RELATED ISSUES
UNHCR's technical team for winterisation completed a one-week rapid
survey of the vulnerable groups in the south in order to assess the
number of beneficiaries. 4,000 households (28,000 individuals) have been
identified (based on information gathered through the jamoats) as
beneficiaries of plastic sheeting for temporary shelter and blankets.
Local Community Development Centres (CDCs), Acted, SC/US, the Red
Crescent Societies, WFP and OSCE will be participating in the
distribution starting 5 January 1998.
ICRC has allocated 190 rolls of roof and window sheeting (covering 1970
houses and 5,000 windows) to UNHCR for the winterisation project.
FOOD AID
ICRC delivered two convoys of 6,500 family parcels (flour, rice, tea and
soap) to a population of 13,000 in Tavildara and Childara. This was part
of a distribution which had been interrupted in June 1997.
OTHER ISSUES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
- UNDHA is in the process of finalizing the Consolidated appeal for
1998. An inter-agency meeting was held to this effect in Geneva on 16
December.
- On 5 December 1997 A joint Conference between the Language Fund
(headed by Loiq Sherali) and the Hukumat of Dushanbe took place in the
capital. The conference debated ways of implementing the National
(Tajik) Language law at all administrative levels and at schools and
universities. It was also suggested that high level officials have
language specialists to allow them to work in Tajik and not in Russian.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
United Nations Office - Dunshanbe
Mr. Paolo Lembo - Resident Coordinator
Ms. Guissou Jeannot-Jahangiri
DHA NGO Liaison Officer
Tel.: (0073772) 23 05 86 - Tel./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: Abu-Conteh@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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