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In Brief

This Bulletin (No. 1/2006) 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 later in a bulletin.

The Situation

Abundant and unusual snows which fell in Tajikistan during January 2006 resulted in several disasters in the form of avalanches and mudflows in eastern and southern parts of the country. People from six rayons in Gorno- Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), two rayons in Rayons of Republican Subordination (RRS) and in Vahsh rayon of Khatlon Oblast were affected.

According to the emergency situation assessment conducted by the Ministry of Emergency Situations , Federation/Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan (RCST), FOCUS, Merlin and Oxfam, during the period from 26 January to 2 February 2006, over 723 people were affected, 19 died, 2 lost, 5 injured and 106 houses were totally or partially destroyed. For details on findings of the assessment, please refer to the table below:

Oblast	Rayon	Type of disaster	Date	No. of affected people	No. of people			Destroyed houses
					Died	Lost	Injured	Totally	Partly
	Dushanbe city	avalanche	31.01.06	48	18	2	5	7
GBAO	Khorog city	avalanche	28.01.06	48				5	5
	Vanch	avalanche	28.01.06	21	1			1
	Roshtkala	mudflow	28.01.06	34					2
	Rushan	mudflow	28.01.06	40				1	5
	Shugnan	avalanche	31.01.06	112					20
	Darvoz	avalanche	31.01.06	198					33
Khatlon	Vakhsh	avalanche	01.02.06	72				1	3
RRS	Faizabad	avalanche	01.02.06	132					31
	Jirgital in Rasht Valley	avalanche	01.02.06	18				2

Preliminary report received from Tajikabad Red Crescent branch, based on assessment held by the RCST Local Disaster Committees, indicates that seven villages (Darai Nushor, Polezak, Sari Nai, Shurobad, Mir Azien, Darai Nazarak and Kerma) in Tajikabad rayon of Rasht Valley (RRS) were affected by avalanches caused by heavy snowfalls. The report shows the following:

- 30 houses are totally destroyed,

- 5 houses partly damaged,

- 35 life-stock killed,

- 4 water canals are damaged and a drinking water supply pipe in Fathobod village is destroyed.

In addition to heavy snowfalls , several earthquakes (magnitudes not stated) occurred in Baljuvon District of Khatlon Province on 10-15 January 2006. On 26 January 2006, the Ministry of Emergency Situations issued a preliminary situation assessment report on results of the earthquakes. The report indicated the following result :

- 95 houses totally damaged;

- 386 houses partially damaged;

- 13 schools partially damaged;

- 7 other state and cultural buildings partially damaged.

According to the information from Baljuvon Hukumat, the following Jamoats were affected by the recent earthquakes: Sarikhosor, Baljuvon, Satalmush and Tojikiston. The roads to the villages are currently blocked. Due to bad weather conditions and impassable roads, the assessment team was not able to reach Sarikhosor Jamoat, which was reported to be the most affected by the recent snowfalls and earthquakes. The Deputy Head of the District Hukumat and the Head of Sarikhosor Jamoat reported that there are no indications about totally destroyed houses in Sarikhosor, but people are still in need of assistance.

Due to roads being blocked by avalanches in most parts of GBAO and Rasht valley, the Government, RCST and International non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are not able to implement the situation assessment in the affected area. The Government of Tajikistan allocated fuel to clean roads connecting Dushanbe city with the rayons of Rasht Valley (Nurobod, Tavildara, Jirgital, Tajikabad, Rasht) and GBAO.

Red Crescent action

The Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan (RCST) was one of the first organizations to help the affected people. The RCST disaster response teams (comprised of staff and volunteers) conducted the situation assessment in Khorog city and Vanch rayon (GBAO). A local disaster commitee (LDC) of Jirgatol Jamoat, trained by RCST, conducted situation assasement in Jirgital rayon and assisted the community in searching missing people. Using initial assessment results, the RCST responded to immediate needs by providing the following non-food items to affected people: 9 kerosene stoves, 41 mattresses, 30 quilts, 10 shovels, 11 hoes, 31 blankets, 36 bedding sets, 18 pillows, 14 buckets, a tent and a hygiene kit.

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

Geneva secretariat: Sylvie Chevalley (Regional officer), 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 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

MAP: Tajikistan: Districts affected by avalanches and heavy snowfall (as of 26 Jan - 1 Feb 2006)