150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 Appeal E-mail:
[email protected] Coordinating Office Tajikistan Severe Weather - ASCE81 Appeal Target: US$ 169,540 Balance Requested: US$ 139,540 Geneva, 19 March 2008 Dear Colleagues, Tajikistan is experiencing its harshest winter in three decades with unusually low temperatures. T he cold weather over the last months and the ensuing shortage of electricity ha ve crippled the population, particularly in urban areas which depend on electricity for heating, cooking and water supply. Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable people being hit by these conditions. As a result of heavy snowfalls, roads between several districts were blocked, which has also reduced local supplies of food and other basic commodities. According to media reports, 303 babies and 12 young women have died as a result of this situation over the last month (Source: Asia Plus). Many antiquated water lines had broken or become clogged. Meanwhile heating and electricity have been restored In Dushanbe, but in the higher altitudes, extreme cold and power outages prevail. There is a risk of flooding and mudslides and outbreak of typhoid as a result of precarious health conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO), together with other agencies, has identified critical food and non-food items are needed to mit igate against immediate, life threatening conditions. These items include wheat flour and vegetable oil in particular, warm clothes for children and the elderly, blankets and sleeping mats, jerry cans for carrying and storing water, flashlights, batteries, candles, matches, generators and fuel, and medicines.