Tajikistan: Floods - Information Bulletin n° 1

The Federation's mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity. It is the world's largest humanitarian organization and its millions of volunteers are active in over 181 countries.

In Brief

This Bulletin No. 1/2005 is being issued for information only. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time. Any change in this will be detailed in a later bulletin.

The Situation

Seasonal warming of temperatures and a rapid melting of snow in the mountains has significantly increased the water level in the main rivers of Tajikistan. On 23 June 2005, the accumulation of water in Pianj and Zarafshon rivers caused damage to the riverbanks, resulting floods in Mir Said Alii Hamadoni district of Khatlon Oblast, three villages (Akhvand, Vamar and Dasht) in Rushan district of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) and two Jamoats (Panjrud and Shing) in Panjakent district of Sughd oblast.

On 24 June 2005, the Red Crescent Society branch in Kulyab region jointly with the Governmental Emergency commission and local authorities , conducted the disaster assessment. Their findings showed that:

• On the first day of the disaster 56 houses were flooded;
  
  
• 270 houses were damaged or destroyed affecting 270 families (1,890 people)
  
  
• 800 seeding fields were destroyed;
  
  
• 39 affected families were evacuated and provided with shelter in a tent camp, which was established in Saied village.

On 7 July 2005, a second joint disaster assessment was conducted by the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MoES), Merlin, World Food Programme (WFP) and Kulyab region RC branch. The report, which was submitted by the RCST branch in Kulyab region, showed the following:

• The water accumulation in Pianj river still continues and at the time of assessment the water level had increased by 70 cm from the time of the first assessment;
  
  
• 24 more houses were affected and three houses were destroyed in Taknov village of Dashtigulo Jamoat (the numbers are in addition to the earlier assessed number of 270 houses);
  
  
• There is a need for: food, medicines and drinking water for 294 families.

On 11 July 2005, a third situation and needs assessment was conducted in Mir Said Alii Hamadony and Rushan districts. This assessment was jointly conducted by the Governmental Emergency Commission, the Red Crescent Society and other NGOs. The assessment showed the following:

• the water level in Pianj river is continuing to rise;
• 25 houses are destroyed;
• 119 houses are damaged;
• 7 km of highways are washed away;
• 0.5 km of electricity lines are damaged;
• 9.5 km of riverbank facilities are washed away;
• 4 km of water irrigation channels are damaged;
• 0.5 km of sewerage system is damaged.

Rushan district (GBAO)

• 300 metres of the riverbank were destroyed;
• 180 hectares of the irrigated land were destroyed;
• 2.5 hectares of orchards were flooded;
• the water pumping station and airport were damaged.

Panjakent district

• 33 houses destroyed in Shing Jamoat;
• 33 families (150 people) were affected and will be evacuated to Sarazm village.

Panjrud village

• 52 households were affected by floods and evacuated to Margedar village

The following needs were identified by the assessment team:

• Food products and medicines for 155 families;
• Fuel for the transportation of clean drinking water to Arazm village.

Red Crescent action

The Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan (RCST) was one of the few humanitarian organisations to offer assistance to affected people on the first day of the disaster. The RCST established a first aid point in Hamadony and Panjakent districts. The situation assessments were conducted by RCST district branches' disaster response teams (DRTs). Immediately after the assessment, 151 fully equipped tents (two in Mir Said Alii Hamadony district and 149 in Sarazm village of Panjakent district) were set up to provide temporary shelter to those families whose houses were destroyed. In addition to that the RCST distributed the following relief items to the affected families:

• 30 pcs Mattresses
• 30 pcs Quilts
• 10 pcs Kitchen sets
• 15 pcs Kerosene stoves
• 10 pcs Shovels
• 10 pcs Hoes
• 32,000 pcs Water purification tabulates
• 3,460 pcs Second hand clothes

RCST staff and volunteers are continuing to conduct situation assessments and rendering first aid in affected areas. There is a need to replenish the RCST stock so that the RCST is capable of quickly intervening in the case of future disaster.

Between May and July 2005, the RCST responded to seven small-scale disasters. For RCST response in these cases, please refer to the table below.

For further information please contact:

The Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan, email: rcstj01@mail.ru, phone number: 992372 24 03 74, fax number: 992372 24 53 78

Head of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Elias Ghanem, email: hod@ifrcdsb.org , phone: + 992372 244296 or 245981, fax:+992372 248520

Geneva secretariat: regional officer Sylvie Chevalley, email: Sylvie.chevalley@ifrc.org phone: 41 22 730 4276.

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response (SPHERE Project) in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable.

For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, please access the Federation website at http://www.ifrc.org

All International Federation assistance seeks to adhere to the Code of Conduct and is committed to the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response in delivering assistance to the most vulnerable. For support to or for further information concerning Federation programmes or operations in this or other countries, or for a full description of the national society profile, please access the Federation's website at http://www.ifrc.org