Highlights

• Donors give US$4.4 million in multilateral aid to the Caucasus and Central Asia.

• Countries in the Caucasus give $155,000 in aid also through multilateral channels.

• IFRC allocates DREF funding to respond to small-scale emergencies in Kazakhstan and Georgia.

• Tajikistan Consolidated winter assistance plan for earthquake-affected populations 2012 seriously underfunded.

Astana: The UAE Red Crescent Authority (RCA) has carried out a winter relief campaign for those affected by a cold wave and heavy snow that hit a number of cities in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

"RCA aid workers have provided relief assistance to a number of families affected by the cold wave in Kazakhstan, Naima Al Muhairi, Acting Deputy Secretary General for Relief and Projects at the RCA, said.

Al Muhairi added the RAC would coordinate with Kazakh official authorities to ensure delivery of assistant to a large number of affected families.

During Earth Week, we’re exploring the connections between climate change and the environment we depend on to sustain us. We start in Kazakhstan, the breadbasket of Central Asia and Afghanistan.

“Ас атасы – нан” – Bread is the head of all foods, Kazakh Proverb

Temperatures:

*Map includes all USAID/OFDA DRR programs active in FY 2012

Link: Disaster RIsk Reduction – Europe, The Middle East, And Central Asiasia Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2012

This report was commissioned by the Kazakhstan Red Crescent. The question of disaster response is important for Kazakhstan, as its vast territory includes a variety of terrain subject to different natural and man-made hazards, including earthquakes, floods, mud flows, avalanches, landslides, and landfalls.

29 January 2013 – The Security Council today stressed the need for cooperation and coordination between governments in Central Asia and regional organizations to strengthen peace, stability and sustainable development in the region.

In particular, the 15-member body underlined the need for governments to collaborate with the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), in a statement issued to the press.

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

• Cereal production halved from last year’s record level
• Wheat available for export for 2012/13 marketing year (July/June) faces logistical problems
• Prices of wheat increased significantly over the last three months of 2012

Period covered by this update: 26th December 2012 to 14th January 2013.

Summary: CHF 158,584 was initially allocated from the IFRC’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the Kazakhstan Red Crescent in delivering immediate assistance to 2,000 beneficiaries. Due to the continuation of the adverse weather conditions and newly arisen needs, however, the National Society has revised its operational plans with a budget increase of CHF 111,586. The revised budget for this operation amounts to a total of CHF 270,170.