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Central Asia
IRIN-CAS Weekly Round-Up 171
3 - 9 July 2004


CONTENTS:

AFGHANISTAN: UNDP to help improve gender awareness/equity in state
   institutions
AFGHANISTAN: UNESCO supports educational radio and TV
CENTRAL ASIA: Uighurs deported to China face persecution
CENTRAL ASIA: Region backslides in freedom of independent media
CENTRAL ASIA: Region struggles to cope with growth of HIV
CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap
IRAN: Special on Bam six months on
KAZAKHSTAN: Anthrax and haemorrhagic fever cases confirmed
TAJIKISTAN: Aga Khan to lay cornerstones of Central Asia University
TAJIKISTAN: IOM welcomes new law to combat human trafficking
UZBEKISTAN: Economic problems fuel departure of ethnic Kazakhs
UZBEKISTAN: Fear of plague leads to tighter border with Turkmenistan


AFGHANISTAN: UNDP to help improve gender awareness/equity in state 
institutions

The United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) has announced the launch of a 
new phase of a programme to expedite gender awareness training in Afghan 
government institutions. The programme, to be implemented by the Ministry 
of Women's Affairs (MoWA), aims to improve gender balance and women's 
priorities in government policies.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42010&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN


AFGHANISTAN: UNESCO supports educational radio and TV

A new radio and television programme supported by the United Nations 
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) looks set to 
address the dire needs of public awareness and civil education in remote 
parts of Afghanistan. "This is a hugely significant project because the 
educational needs of Afghanistan are so great."

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42070&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=AFGHANISTAN


CENTRAL ASIA: Uighurs deported to China face persecution

Ethnic Uighurs fleeing China's northwest Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region 
(XUAR) to Central Asia as a result of Beijing's crackdown on political and 
religious dissent are allegedly being sent back to China, where they face 
persecution, Uighur leaders in Central Asia say. Their claim is endorsed 
by Amnesty International (AI). "Human rights abuses are the main driving 
force behind the flow of asylum seekers from Xinjiang."

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42060&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=CENTRAL_ASIA


CENTRAL ASIA: Region backslides in freedom of independent media

Central Asia ranks as the least hospitable region for the independent 
media as governments continue to place "serious obstacles" to the 
development of press freedom, according to the newly released Media 
Sustainability Index (MSI) from the International Research and Exchange 
Board (IREX). "In general, independent media are struggling in Central 
Asia."

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42080&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=CENTRAL_ASIA


CENTRAL ASIA: Region struggles to cope with growth of HIV

Despite efforts by countries in the region, Central Asia has experienced 
an alarming growth of HIV over the past three years, mainly among 
injecting drugs users, according to an official from the UNAIDS programme 
in Kazakhstan. the UN Global AIDS report for 2004 highlights the 
fast-growing AIDS epidemic in the region and notes that the former Soviet 
republics were unprepared to deal with the spread of the disease.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42071&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=CENTRAL_ASIA


CENTRAL ASIA: Weekly news wrap

resident of Saghirdasht village in Tajikistan's eastern Badakhshon region 
was badly injured after stepping on a land mine, the Tajik Asia-Plus news 
agency reported on Monday. Rustam Muhammadaliyev, sustained serious 
shrapnel wounds to his feet in the incident, Mansur Donayorshoyev, an 
officer at the regional interior directorate, said. The 18-year-old was 
admitted to hospital, where his left foot was amputated. Officials said 
the mine may have been planted in the area during that country's bloody 
civil war from 1992 to 1997.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42095&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=CENTRAL_ASIA


IRAN: Special on Bam six months on

Six months after the earthquake that devastated Bam in southeastern Iran, 
the city remains strewn with rubble. Rows of small, white, box-like 
prefabricated shelters fill cleared wasteland in tightly packed neat 
lines, while tents still dot every road, back alley and clearing. The 
damage to the qanats, an ancient complex underground network of water 
channels, is now evident. Dying date trees, once the lungs that made the 
oasis city resemble a lush garden, now wilt with thirst.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42061&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=IRAN


KAZAKHSTAN: Anthrax and haemorrhagic fever cases confirmed

Seven people in the north of the country have been hospitalised with 
anthrax contracted from infected cattle, while in the south three cases of 
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever have been confirmed. The recent incident 
brought the number of anthrax cases in Central Asia's largest state to 11 
in the first six months of the year, while in the same period of 2003 
there were none.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42024&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=KAZAKHSTAN


TAJIKISTAN: Aga Khan to lay cornerstones of Central Asia University

The Aga Khan arrived in Tajikistan on Sunday as part of six-day visit to 
that country and its mountainous neighbour, Kyrgyzstan, where he will lay 
the cornerstones for two of three campuses for the future University of 
Central Asia (UCA), the world's first internationally chartered 
institution of higher education. "This will be the first university of its 
kind in the region."

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42000&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=TAJIKISTAN


TAJIKISTAN: IOM welcomes new law to combat human trafficking

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday welcomed a 
recent decision by the Tajik government to enact a law combating human 
trafficking, the first such legislation in Central Asia. IOM said they 
were happy with the government's collaboration over the past year and 
hoped that the law would receive final approval. "We are very optimistic 
about this law."

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42029&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=TAJIKISTAN


UZBEKISTAN: Economic problems fuel departure of ethnic Kazakhs

Economic hardship continues to be a driving force behind the return of 
thousands of ethnic Kazakhs to their homeland from Uzbekistan each year. 
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Kazakh government 
enacted a special law allowing for the return of ethnic Kazakhs and their 
descendents from other countries, including ex-Soviet republics. The law 
established the legal status of "oralman" - meaning returnee.

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42031&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=UZBEKISTAN


UZBEKISTAN: Fear of plague leads to tighter border with Turkmenistan

Tashkent is tightening border controls and migration in a bid to prevent 
the possible spread of plague from neighbouring Turkmenistan, according to 
a health official. "We recently held a session of the national 
anti-epidemic commission, where we adopted a number of measures to prevent 
the spread of plague from Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan."

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42013&SelectRegion=Central_Asia&SelectCountry=UZBEKISTAN


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Copyright (c) UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2004


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