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Tackling the big freeze in Tajikistan

4 April 2008

Earlier this year, the Central Asian country of Tajikistan was gripped by freezing weather conditions which saw temperatures in some parts of the country fall to as low as -20 degrees.

Tajiks were left without heating, electricity or running water, and the Government had to appeal to the UN for urgent humanitarian support. In the mountains, rivers froze, leaving hydropower stations without supplies to run their turbines. In cities and villages, frozen pipes left millions of people without drinking water. It was the worst winter in Tajikistan for 50 years.

International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, announced DFID would give £1.5 million to help provide electricity generators, special beds for babies, and blankets to ensure people were protected against the sub-zero weather.

DFID organised two emergency airlifts to transport these supplies to Tajikistan, where they were distributed by the UN. The photos below show how the relief effort got underway.

 

Snowdrift in Tajikistan Loading the blankets
 

Temperatures of -20 degrees and heavy snowfall made    it impossible for many Tajiks to even get in and out of their homes. Some schools and hospitals had to close because water and electricity supplies were disrupted    by the weather.
 

  

DFID sent out two flights to Tajikistan carrying lifesaving supplies. DFID and Tajik officials were at the capital Dushanbe to meet the first emergency flight, which carried 8,000 DFID blankets. These were distributed by the UN to Save the Children Fund, CARE and Mercy Corp as part of their own relief efforts. The flight flew in from Delhi, India, where DFID was able to quickly source a suitable number of blankets.
   
Truck loaded with relief items Loading emergency supplies at Dushanbe airport
 

A truck being loaded with DFID relief items in Kemble, England. This truck took the supplies to France, where the second DFID relief flight was departing along with other emergency items from elsewhere.

  

An Ilyushin 76 is offloaded with 24 tonnes of DFID supplies at Dushanbe airport. The cargo consisted of 38 electricity generators, 54 baby warming beds, 4.5 million water purification tablets, 2,000 typhoid test kits, 10 water storage tanks each able to hold five thousand litres, and four hospital health kits with medicines and instruments. These were given to Mercy Corp, CARE, UNICEF, WHO, UNDP and Mission East. This was the second DFID relief flight to Tajikistan.
   
Dylan Winder and colleagues visit a school Collecting supplies in Gharm
 

Dylan Winder (middle), head of DFID Tajikistan, visits a school affected by the harsh winter. DFID supplies were distributed to schools, hospitals and private homes throughout Tajikistan.

  

A woman in the village of Gharm, a remote mountainous area, collecting DFID emergency supplies.

   

For more information on DFID’s support please visit our Tajikistan country profile.