DUSHANBE, June 3, 2009, Asia-Plus — Representatives of the European Commission, including ECHO office, and a group of Civil Protection Mechanism experts from the European Union (EU) member nations will visit the districts of Khatlon, severely affected by the recent floods and mudslides, together with Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Murodali Alimardon, press release issued by the Delegation of the European Commission in Tajikistan today said.
It is envisaged that during this visit the EU experts from Austria, Czech Republic, Latvia and Sweden will be able to distribute part of the humanitarian aid voluntarily provided by the Austrian and Slovakian Governments.
As we recall, the European Commission has activated its Community Mechanism for Civil Protection at the request of the Republic of Tajikistan, in response to the severe floods and mudslides affecting the country. Disaster has struck in more than 40 settlements and locations, 10.000 citizens have been displaced, 8.000 10.000 citizens have been displaced, 8.00 8.000 persons are without access to drinkable water and some 30 casualties have been reported. Austria and Slovakia are providing assistance through the Mechanism in the form of tents, electrical power generators and medicines arrived last Saturday, May 30 in Dushanbe.
The Commission’s Monitoring and Infond Information Centre (MIC) has deployed a coordination team with experts from Austria, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Sweden, as well as a MIC liaison officer, joining forces with the national government authorities and international partners to facilitate the distribution of the relief items.
Besides the affected population, 2.000 houses have been destroyed, hundreds of social and cultural, communication and industrial objects have been collapsed and 160 kilometers of roads have been washed out, including 40 bridges. The worst affected area is the Khurason district of Khatlon province, where a massive mudslide occurred on April 21, 2009.
The new EU Strategy for Central Asia aims to strengthen ties between the European Union and its Central Asian partners. It has doubled European Commission assistance to the region to €750 million for 2007-2013. Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance (€66 million for 2007-2010) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management. Projects aimed at enhancing living standards continue. Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water / environment, migration, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest). The total value of EC assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over €500 million.
