Most Recent Disaster Declaration:
Complex Emergency, 06-12-2010
The ousting of former Kyrgyzstan President Kurmanbek Bakiev on April 7 by opposition forces and establishment of an interim government headed by Roza Otunbayeva exacerbated longstanding ethnic tensions in areas of Kyrgyzstan, particularly in the Ferghana Valley—which includes Osh and Jalalabad oblasts, or administrative units. On the evening of June 10, tensions between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbek populations led to violent clashes in the city of Osh. In the following days, civil unrest continued to escalate and spread to the city of Jalalabad, the stronghold of the former president. On June 13, the Government of Kyrgyzstan (GoK) declared a state of emergency in the greater region of southern Kyrgyzstan. As of June 16, violence in southern Kyrgyzstan had resulted in 1,870 confirmed injuries and 179 deaths, according to the GoK Ministry of Health. Insecurity continued to impede humanitarian access to affected areas, although initial reports indicated the need for medical supplies, safe drinking water, and food commodities.
On June 12, U.S. Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller declared a disaster due to the humanitarian consequences of the complex emergency. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 to non-governmental organization Save the Children for the purchase of emergency relief commodities. USAID/OFDA staff in Washington, D.C., and the USAID/OFDA principal regional advisor, in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek, continued to monitor the situation and coordinated with humanitarian agencies to identify and respond to humanitarian needs among conflict-affected populations.
Additional Disaster Declarations:
Civil Unrest, 04-13-2010
On April 6, opposition supporters in the city of Talas overtook a regional governor’s office following the arrest of an opposition leader. The protests led to nationwide demonstrations between April 6 and 7, including violent protests in the capital, Bishkek. On April 7, opposition forces ousted the government of President Kurmanbek Bakiev and declared an interim government. According to the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, at least 82 people died and more than 1,500 others were wounded as a result of the demonstrations. While non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including the Kyrgyz Red Crescent Society and Médecins Sans Frontières, provided local hospitals with emergency medical supplies, stocks of supplies and surgical equipment remain low. As of April 12, USAID’s Central Asia Regional Mission (USAID/CAR) had provided approximately $100,000 in medical supplies, including bandages, surgical kits, and syringes, to hospitals in Bishkek, Talas, Naryn, and Chui oblasts, or administrative divisions, at the request of the interim government.
On April 13, U.S. Ambassador Tatiana C. Gfoeller declared a disaster due to the humanitarian consequences of the civil unrest. In response, USAID/OFDA provided $50,000 through USAID/CAR to NGO CitiHope International for the purchase of emergency medical supplies and equipment to assist approximately 204 wounded victims at the Bishkek trauma center. USAID/OFDA staff in Washington, D.C., and Budapest, Hungary, monitored the situation in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek and USAID/CAR.
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