Attachments
A. Situation analysis
Description of the disaster
The torrential rains of starting from 6 May and continuing until 13 May 2021 triggered floods, landslides and mudflows in many of the country’s districts. Districts and towns of Khatlon province face the largest number of losses and destructions. Disasters affected the following towns and districts: Kulob town and districts of Shamsiddini Shohin, Yovon, Dusti, Vaksh, Muminobod and Abdurahmoni Jomi.
The Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan (CoES) reported the death of nine people caused by the disaster. Preliminary estimates indicate that households were displaced and 907 houses were damaged to different extents.
Very modest estimations indicate that the damages to private and social infrastructure caused disruptions to the livelihoods of more than 25,010 people.
The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan activated the Inter-Agency Commission on Emergency Situations (Commission) in each disaster-affected district, which fully facilitates the response operations. Furthermore, Emergency Operations Centres have been set up in each disaster affected district to collect and analyse relevant information, as well as to coordinate the response activities.
Up to date, general response activities in the affected districts include: search and rescue, evacuation of population from risk zones, constant disinfection of the affected territories, debris removal, assessment of damages and needs, registration of affected population, restoration of communal services, collection and distribution of immediate relief assistance, as well as recovery planning.
Summary information by district
The floods and subsequent landslides and mudflows affected districts to various extents, causing different levels of damage. Below is a summary of information listed by districts and solicited from different sources:
Kulob town – 11 May 2021: Kulob town appeared to be the worst affected area, with the death of 3 people and an estimated 15 streets covered by mud. Up to date, the Government Assessment Teams identified 586 households with different levels of damage. As of 19 May 2021, updated estimates report over 850 households as affected and in need of assistance. Most of the affected population have lost their assets and food stocks, as well as access to clean drinking water, as water supply system has been damaged by the mudflow. Sanitation conditions are severely worsened, as latrines are damaged and flooded.
Severe damages have been reported to bridges, roads, and mudflow diversion channels, as well as to agricultural lands and cattle. Education has been disrupted in 3 schools affected by the mudflows for a couple of days, however it is expected that schools will re-open provided that all cleaning and disinfection interventions are completed on time.
The Republican Commission led by the Prime Minister, Mr. K.Rasulzoda, facilitates the response operations in Kulob town.
Abdurahmoni Jomi district – 8 May 2021: Earth motion in the village Navobod of Jamoat Iftikhor is still continuing, expanding the sinkhole that occurred on 8 May 2021, prior to the mudflows in other districts. One additional house has collapsed since the last report on 11 May 2021, and around 10 residential houses remain under high risk of collapse.
The latest reports indicate that mudflows affected over 180 households and left 45 households homeless in three villages. Crops on over 1,000 hectares of land have been destroyed as significant damage has been caused to irrigation canals and roads.
Those displaced and inhabitants of the highest risk zones still reside in a small tent-camp established by the authorities in the backyard of a local school. Reports from the field indicate that male adult family members mainly occupy tents, while their relatives mainly host women, children and elderly family members.
Relevant authorities continue monitoring of the geological processes, while CoES ensures safety of the population and supports affected people in recovering their belongings and assets from risk zones. The Commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Mr. D.Gulmahmadzoda has allocated new land plots in safe locations to those displaced. The Government has committed to provide necessary materials for construction of new houses.
Vakhsh district – 11 May 2021: The mudflow caused the death of an elderly woman and fully destroyed over 19 houses in three villages of Vaksh district. Another 45 houses and other infrastructure, such as roads and canals suffered significant damages. The worst affected village is reported to be village Ittifoq of Jamoat 20-solagii Istiqloliyat.
The roads are being cleaned to ensure access to the affected streets and to restore the electricity supply, however stable supply of drinking water to the population of the affected villages is not yet restored.
As of today, CoES has delivered and erected around 20 tents in a safe area to host the victims of the mudflow, while the Commission is considering the possibility to relocate the affected households to safe locations.
Shamsiddini Shohin district – 11 May 2021: The mudflow caused the death of three people (drowned in a car) and damaged the infrastructure in 3 villages of the district. In addition, the mudflow damaged over 20 houses and caused the loss of over 180 heads of cattle. Over 150 meters of riverbank reinforcement facilities have been washed away, increasing the risk of repeated flood.
Muminobod district – 11-13 May 2021: The mudflows mainly damaged inter-farm bridges (over 10), roads and riverbank reinforcement facilities. Around 40 houses suffered different damages.