DUSHANBE, December 21, 2015, Asia-Plus — The United States Government expresses its deepest condolences to the people of Tajikistan who have suffered from the recent 7.2 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Murgab district of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) on December 7.
The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe says to help the victims affected by the earthquake, the United States Government has provided $100,000 in humanitarian assistance to families in Darvoz, Rushan, Shugnan, Vanj districts and Khorog.
On December 11, Chargé d”Affaires a.i. Leslie Hayden responded to a request for assistance from the Government of Tajikistan to help address the significant damage in GBAO. Chargé Hayden requested funding for immediate disaster assistance from the United States Agency for International Development’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) which agreed to provide $100,000.
USAID will coordinate with FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance to utilize funding for displaced families in order to purchase items such as winterized tents for temporary shelter, blankets, clothing, and construction materials required to repair damaged homes. All assistance is targeted to meet the requests of the Government of Tajikistan and is coordinated through the joint government-donor-non-government Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team (REACT).
According to figures from the Committee of Emergency Situations, 1,327 houses were damaged or destroyed and 7,962 people were displaced as of December 11. These numbers continue to rise as damage assessments continue. Critical infrastructure, including roads, medical facilities, hydro-power stations, and schools also incurred damage.
The U.S. Government continues to monitor the situation closely. This rapid assistance represents the U.S. Government’s firm commitment to support the people of Tajikistan in their time of need.
