Dushanbe, Tajikistan, August 10, 2015 – The United States Government expresses its deepest condolences to the people of Tajikistan who have suffered from the recent mudslides ravaging the Rasht Valley and the Rushan, Shugnan, and Vanj areas of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) since July 19. To help the victims affected by the floods, the United States Government has provided more than $60,000 in humanitarian assistance including tents, sanitation kits, and other emergency supplies to families in Barsem, Kolkhozobod, and the Rasht District.
On July 19, 2015, Ambassador Susan Elliott responded to a request for assistance from the Government of Tajikistan to help address the significant damage in GBAO and later the Rasht Valley. Using the U.S. Ambassador’s Relief Fund, Ambassador Elliott donated $50,000 to The Aga Khan Development Network’s disaster relief division, FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance, to distribute tents, cots, beds, mattresses, blankets, pillows, towels, and other household items. Additionally, the U.S. Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) coordinated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to distribute emergency supplies valued at more than $10,000 to communities in the Rasht Valley, as part of the overall INL Community Policing Program. This assistance is designed to address the priorities expressed by the Government of Tajikistan and is coordinated through the joint government-donor-non-government Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team (REACT).
The U.S. Government continues to monitor the situation closely and has already committed additional funds towards school reconstruction, medical clinic renovation, and water utility rehabilitation projects. The combined assistance efforts of various agencies and partner organizations represent the U.S. Government’s firm commitment to support the people of Tajikistan in this time of need.
