ReliefWeb

On 07 March 2016, UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme delivered 22,000 liters of aviation fuel to be used for delivery of food items and construction materials to remote and earthquake affected villages of Bartang valley in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) of Tajikistan. Current support was provided through OCHA Emergency Cash Grant of 100,000 US Dollars for procurement of aviation fuel and coal, and is a part of a continued assistance provided by UNDP to support Government’s ongoing relief and recovery efforts following the 7.2-Magnitude earthquake that hit Murghab in December 2015.

While lack of access, remoteness and severe weather conditions are the major impediment in providing aid to earthquake affected villages, REACT Rapid Assessment team has identified an aviation fuel as one of the mid-term relief needs.

Earthquake affected population resides in the isolated mountainous region where temperatures are the lowest and the snowfall is the heaviest in comparison with the rest of the country and due to severe weather conditions an upper Bartang Valley of GBAO Region is considered inaccessible by road almost 5 months in a year.

Representative of CoES in GBAO, Nasulloev Gulsha, emphasized that received aviation fuel will allow the emergency services to deliver up to 28 tonnes of relief aid.

Also, as the need in coal supply for affected areas was recognized by humanitarian community among the main priorities for emergency support and assistance, UNDP Disaster Risk Management Programme organized distribution of 297 tonnes of coal to the most vulnerable households affected by the earthquake in GBAO Region. Overall, UNDP assisted 300 households in Rushan, Shughnan and Vanj districts of GBAO Region providing approximately one ton of coal for each family. Provision of coal is expected to satisfy heating needs for the period of three months.

The Murghab Earthquake occurred on 07 December 2015 with a 7.2-Magnitude on the Richter scale. The epicenter was 95 km west of Murgab and 10 km north of Lake Sarez. The earthquakes’ main impact was limited to Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) of Tajikistan, affecting five out of six districts; Rushan, Shughnan, Vanj, Roshtqala. Over 4,000 people are in need of assistance and 652 people displaced. Assistance provided by UNDP was based on an official request by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the international community to supplement national and local assistance relief efforts.

Contact Information: Parviz Saidov, Project Analyst (Tel.: +992 (44) 6005922, E-mail: parviz.said@undp.org)

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