EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Competition for water is increasing in Central Asia at an alarming rate, adding tension to what is already an uneasy region. Agriculture is the mainstay of the region's economy, and thirsty crops such as cotton and rice require intensive irrigation. Water use has increased rapidly since the Central Asian states became independent in 1991 and is now at an unsustainable level. Irrigation systems have decayed so severely that half of all water never reaches crops, and several years of drought have cut available water by a fifth even as demand continues

by Ilmira Gafiatullina in Almaty
Grinding poverty and three years of drought have left thousands of families sick and destitute in parts of Uzbekistan. Uzbek Red Crescent emergency food distributions are now underway to 20,000 people among the worst-affected populations in Chimbai and Kegeili districts, in the northern part of the Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. More than 150,000 people will also benefit from re-stocking of medical institutions with essential drugs and the provision of preventive health care.

The first distributions began February

(From August/September Transitions Newsletter.)
In early July, Robert Mister, from ERD Geneva, took part in a joint UNDP-OCHA mission to Uzbekistan to gain a better understanding of the drought situation. Northwest Uzbekistan has been affect by the worst drought for a number of years affecting some 550,000 to 600,000 people. The drought results from both natural and structural causes that have also increased soil salinity levels considerably. The long term impact of the drought is therefore likely to continue for some years to come.

Summary
Since spring 2000, an unusual drought has affected Central Asia. The lack of rainfall and melting of glaciers has greatly reduced the water flow of the Amu Darya River. This has resulted in the reduced availability of water for drinking and irrigation, which has led to severe crop failure. In Uzbekistan, the drought has primarily affected the regions of Khorezm and Karakalpakstan, particularly the districts located downstream of the Amu Darya River (flowing to Uzbekistan from Tajikistan). Approximately 13 million people have been affected, out of which some six

Strengthening of the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance of the United Nations
I. INTRODUCTION

1. The present report has been prepared pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 46/182 of 19 December 1991, which requested the Secretary-General to report annually to the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council on the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance, and to Economic and Social Council Resolution 1995/56 of 28 July 1995, which requested the Secretary-General to submit a comprehensive report on humanitarian assistance, and to subsequent resolutions.

News Release No. 031/01

MANILA, PHILPPINES (19April 2001) - Economic growth in the Central Asian republics, Azerbaijan, and Mongolia is forecast to remain positive in 2001, although at about half the 7.8 percent figure posted in 2000, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2001 (ADO), released today by the Asian Development Bank.

"The improvement in the Russian economy since 1999 and the rise in international energy prices have helped generate strong aggregate gross domestic product (GDP) growth," says

PR 01/10e
Rome, 1 March 2001 -- Some 60 million people in 33 countries are facing food emergencies of varying intensity, according to a .

FAO's Foodcrops and Shortages found sub-Saharan Africa worst off with 16 countries suffering from exceptional food emergencies caused mostly by natural disasters and civil strife. Despite improved weather conditions recently, the report says, the effects of the drought in Eastern Africa are still being felt in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania, where emergency food assistance continues to be provided

Mission Highlights

Bonn, 5 December 2000 - "We are ready to see if progress has been achieved in combating desertification worldwide", said today Mr. Hama Arba Diallo, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), few days before the opening of the fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNCCD (COP-4), from 11-22 December in Bonn, Germany.
About 2,000 delegates from over 170 countries are expected to arrive in Bonn to attend the Conference, including Heads of State and of Government, ministers, representatives of intergovernmental