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Belarus + 3 more

Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine Regional Programmes: Plan 2009-2010 (MAA67003) - Programme update

Attachments

Appeal No. MAA67003
30/08/2009

This report covers the period 01/01/2009 to 30/06/2009.

In brief

Programme summary: The International Federation's regional representation in Moscow worked with the National Societies of Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine to support them in their work aligned with the Global Agenda Goals. Most of this support is laid out in the individual plans for each country, and is reported on through separate programme updates, which can be found here: Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. As such, the plan for the regional representation tries to capture cross-country and regional themes.

This regional plan will be closed at the end of 2009, as the country plans are now well established as the primary vehicle for articulating the support to the four countries, in a more focussed way. Any balances of funds from this plan will be allocated to these plans, in discussion with funders.

Financial situation: There was no income received in the first half of 2009 to support this plan. The

attached financial report shows an opening balance of 457,499 Swiss francs carried forward from the previous year and was re-allocated to other projects under the individual country plans. Click here to go directly to the financial report.

Our partners: The regional representation cooperated with the Red Cross Societies in the region and partner National Societies, USAID, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UN agencies operating in Russia, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Russian Ministry of Health, mass media, as well as international and local enterprises.

Context

In the first six months of 2009 the four ex-soviet countries of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova experienced serious negative consequences of the global economic crisis. In Russia, drops in oil prices dramatically reduced the state's budget income. Moldova has suffered from a big recession in the national economy and a drop in remittances from abroad. Moreover, the number of people returning has doubled, placing even greater strain on this tiny, shattered economy. Ukraine's economy is heavily dependent on steel, which is less needed as the construction industry world-wide has slumped. Gas transitting, another big earner, was damaged by the so-called "gas wars" with Russia.

Those left most vulnerable are elderly people living alone, multi-child families, street children, people with disabilities, and marginalized people such as homeless people, people living with HIV, alcoholics, drug users and migrants. Largely as a result of this economic and social picture, migration is a fact of life for many communities.

All the four countries are going through deep demographic crises; population growth is estimated at a negative 0.6 per cent. The incidence rates of HIV and Tuberculosis (TB) present major health problems. HIV prevalence varies between the four countries, but is high in Ukraine, at 1.4; in Russia at 1.1; and in Moldova at 1.1; however it is much lower in Belarus, standing at 0.3. With regard to the spread of TB, prevalence rates in Russia and Moldova are the highest in Europe with 150 and 149 cases per 100,000 people respectively.

A more in-depth analysis of the context in each country is contained in the country programme updates.