U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Central Asia

Tel: +92-51-2211451 Ext 484 
Fax: +92-51-2211 450 
e-mail: irin@irin.org.pk


Central Asia
IRIN-CAS Weekly Round-up 165
22 - 28 May 2004


CONTENTS:

AFGHANISTAN: New press law welcomed
CENTRAL ASIA: UNODC head visits Central Asia
CENTRAL ASIA: NGO report says region lagging in democratic development
CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap
KAZAKHSTAN: Corruption remains a major cause of concern
KYRGYZSTAN: Malaria remains source of concern
PAKISTAN: UNDP, UNICEF undertake first ever joint project
PAKISTAN: Six die due to contaminated water in Sindh
PAKISTAN: Appointment said intended to create "loyal opposition"
PAKISTAN: Special report on the state of human rights
TAJIKISTAN: Heavy rains flood more than 200 houses in capital
TAJIKISTAN: Focus on WFP school feeding programme five years on
TAJIKISTAN: Major mine action donation will speed clearances
TURKMENISTAN: Salt iodisation proceeding well
UZBEKISTAN: Tashkent warns foreign NGOs against supporting political
   organisations


AFGHANISTAN: New press law welcomed

Journalists and independent writers have welcomed the endorsement of a new 
Afghan press law earlier this month, believing that it has reduced curbs 
on press freedom. They argue, however, that additional steps are still 
needed. "The new press law guarantees freedom of expression and is 
unprecedented not only in Afghanistan, but also at the regional level."

Full copy of this report


CENTRAL ASIA: UNODC head visits Central Asia

The executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 
(UNODC), Antonio Maria Costa, started on Monday a six-day tour of four 
Central Asian states to review the drug control and crime prevention 
situation in the region. "Central Asia is one of the main areas of concern 
for the organisation in terms of drugs and crime because of the outlets 
for trafficking through the region from Afghanistan."

Full copy of this report


CENTRAL ASIA: NGO report says region lagging in democratic development

All the Central Asian states lag behind in key areas of democratic 
development, including electoral processes and the independent media, thus 
placing the five countries on the wrong track for development, according 
to a Freedom House official. "They are stuck in a very negative position 
right now, and I think it is fair to say that we haven't seen any 
meaningful forward progress."

Full copy of this report


CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap

The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Antonio 
Mario Costa, touring the Central Asian region this week, expressed concern 
on Thursday over the planned withdrawal of Russian border guards 
patrolling the Tajik-Afghan border - a major frontline in the fight 
against illicit drug-trafficking from Afghanistan, the world's top opium 
producer.

Full copy of this report


KAZAKHSTAN: Corruption remains a major cause of concern

Kazakhstan is the leader in terms of economic growth and reforms among the 
five Central Asian states, having enjoyed double digit growth rates over 
recent years, fuelled mainly by the oil and gas industry. However, experts 
warn that corruption is becoming a problem that could hamper further 
reforms. Actually it is a recognised fact, even by the government, that 
corruption has a systemic character in Kazakhstan."

Full copy of this report


KYRGYZSTAN: Malaria remains source of concern

With summer on the way, health experts are warning of a possible increase 
in the number of malaria cases in Kyrgyzstan, especially in the south of 
the country, as happened in 2002. "We are concerned. I think that we will 
face malaria again this year. We have got local contraction of malaria, 
our mosquitoes are already infected and this year again there will be 
problems."

Full copy of this report


PAKISTAN: UNDP, UNICEF undertake first ever joint project

The first project ever undertaken jointly by the United Nations 
Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund 
(UNICEF) in Pakistan will focus on arsenic removal from drinking water 
supplies to nearly 600 schools in two major provinces. The overall goal of 
the joint programme is to demonstrate the provision of sustainable safe 
water supply and sanitation models to help contribute to the reduction of 
mortality and morbidity among women and children in accordance with the 
Millennium Development Goals.

Full copy of this report


PAKISTAN: Six die due to contaminated water in Sindh

At least six people have died and more than 1,700 others are reported to 
have fallen ill with gastroenteritis in and around the city of Hyderabad 
in the southern province of Sindh after contaminated water from a polluted 
lake was allowed to enter the region's water supply early this month. A 
further 1,718 people had been treated at government and private hospitals 
for similar illnesses caused allegedly by the release of contaminated 
water from a nearby lake by local authorities.

Full copy of this report


PAKISTAN: Appointment said intended to create "loyal opposition"

The appointment of a politician from Pakistan's religious right as the 
leader of the opposition in the country's national assembly, more than a 
year and a half after general elections were held, is intended to create a 
"loyal opposition" which will only serve to scuttle democratic principles. 
Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a coalition of 
Islamic parties which won surprising gains in the October 2002 elections 
on the back of anti-US sentiment, was nominated to lead the opposition on 
Tuesday by the speaker of the lower house of parliament.

Full copy of this report


PAKISTAN: Special report on the state of human rights

Shaista Almani, the young school-teacher who married Balkhsher Mahar from 
a rival tribe in the southern Pakistani province of Sindh in early 2003, 
starting a saga of tribal threats, separation for over eight months and a 
forced divorce, is now reunited with her husband as a result of a Sindh 
High Court (SHC) ruling of March 2004 - but she is not free. At least 600 
women across the country became victims of "honour" killings during the 
year, some as a result of verdicts meted out by medieval jirgas.

Full copy of this report


TAJIKISTAN: Heavy rains flood more than 200 houses in capital

Floods caused by heavy rains rushed through the Tajik capital Dushanbe on 
Saturday, damaging hundreds of homes. The flooded houses were seriously 
damaged and could possibly collapse given their construction, while mud 
brick homes in the area were no longer suitable for habitation, according 
to the Tajik Emergency Ministry. Flood victims were working to retrieve 
their belongings, much of which were destroyed.

Full copy of this report


TAJIKISTAN: Focus on WFP school feeding programme five years on

For Bahridin Shernazarov, enjoying a hot meal at school is the highlight 
of his day. A beneficiary of the World Food Programme's (WFP) school 
feeding programme, this is his only hot meal of the day - receiving only 
bread and tea at home. The UN food agency implements the programme through 
WFP field offices and local departments of the Tajik Ministry of 
Education. During the 2003-04 academic school year more than 15,000 mt of 
food (fortified wheat flour, vegetable oil, pulses for protein and iodised 
salt), costing almost US $8 million, was distributed.

Full copy of this report


TAJIKISTAN: Major mine action donation will speed clearances

A major donation of up to US $955,000 has been made to fund the second 
phase of the joint Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe 
(OSCE) and Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) first mine action 
project in Tajikistan. "The money will be used to train, equip and deploy 
two new mine clearance teams and to increase the survey capacity with an 
additional mine survey team. We also hope to increase the mine-awareness 
capacities among the population."

Full copy of this report


TURKMENISTAN: Salt iodisation proceeding well

Although iodine deficiency remains a problem among the population of 
Turkmenistan, remarkable developments have been made over recent years on 
the way to universal salt iodisation. "Iodine deficiency is one of the 
problems among the population here and the best way to resolve it is to 
mix iodine with salt." In an effort to tackle the issue, the Turkmen 
government issued a decree on fortifying salt with iodine.

Full copy of this report


UZBEKISTAN: Tashkent warns foreign NGOs against supporting political 
organisations

Uzbekistan's Justice Ministry has formally rejected the re-registration of 
billionaire philanthropist George Soros's Open Society Institute (OSI), at 
the same time warning three American non-governmental organisations 
accused of damaging the country's reputation and acting against Uzbek law. 
According to a degree issued in December 2003, all foreign NGOs present in 
the populous Central Asian state were to re-register with the Justice 
Ministry, a change to the previous procedure of registering with the 
Foreign Ministry. Two Uzbek opposition parties were also refused 
registration on the basis of forged documents.

Full copy of this report



- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
     Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                    guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Central Asia                       www.cidi.org/humanitarian/irin/casia