Uzbekistan: Drought - Aug 2000

On 9 August 2000, the Government of Uzbekistan addressed an appeal to the United Nations to provide assistance to the country in alleviating the dramatic consequences of a protracted drought and indicated that the situation in the Aral Sea basin worsened, especially along the lower reaches of Amudarya river, which played a critical role for almost 15 million people.

Eight Rayons, with a total population of approximately half a million, needed priority emergency assistance. These areas had already been seriously affected by the ongoing ecological crisis caused by the shrinking of the Aral Sea. Due to the worsening ecological situation, poverty, and the sole dependence on agricultural income, the region was most vulnerable to drought; even before the drought, less than one-third of the population had access to safe drinking water, and the diarrheal disease rate was well above the national average. (OCHA, 11 Aug 2000)