On 26 June the Tajik Union of Journalists will be hosting a round table “The periodical oriented to readers: design and contents”.

Organizers of the event – the Tajik Union of Journalists and Internews Network, Tajikistan – have invited Dmitri Surin, chief editor of the newspaper association “My District” from Moscow, Russia as a moderator.

Tajik editors and publishers will discuss the issues of design and contents of newspapers in contemporary World. Participants will be shown best practices and design samples in the printing industry.

Representatives of Internews Network, Tajikistan told the Asia Plus news agency that the event is being organized within the framework of the program “Innovations and development of multimedia editing boards”. The main purposes of this program are to improve quality of information and ensure access to mass media applying tools of online journalism; to strengthen relations between the media and public at large; and to improve communication between editors and correspondents using the Internet.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

The independent school of journalism “Tajikistan – XXI Century” is selecting students for the second noncommercial training course for young media professionals.

The courses are being implemented within the framework of the project “Strengthening professional skills among young journalists” supported by the UNESCO International Program on Development of Communication (IPDC) and the US Embassy’s Democracy Development Commission. Sixty practicing journalists aged from 18 to 30 will take part in the second part of the program.

Training sessions will be conducted twice a week on the following subjects: “Printing Media”, “Radio” and “Television” under the guidance of leading Tajik media professionals.

The duration of the courses is three months (from 1 September to 30 November), after which the most successful students will have a chance to pass internship in the leading Tajik media and editing boards.

Applications are accepted until 30 August 2009.

Tajikistan – XXI Century

Obama administration refines 43-year-old law

Washington — The 43-year-old Freedom of Information Act is considered a bulwark of democracy by scholars, journalists and common citizens seeking information held by the U.S. government.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), enacted in 1966 and refined over the years, allows individuals and organizations (including non-U.S. citizens and groups) to request access to unpublished documents held by the executive branch of the federal government without having to provide a reason for the request.

When FOIA first was enacted, it was considered revolutionary. Only Finland and Sweden had similar legislation. Since then, about 80 nations have created similar laws, says Tom Blanton, director of the National Security Archive, a leading U.S. research institute that collects and publishes information gathered through FOIA requests.

President Lyndon Johnson was not enthusiastic about signing the act requiring the executive branch of the U.S. government to make many documents available upon request by the public. Many officials felt the transparency called for by FOIA would constrain them from communicating sensitive information in documents, thereby hampering government functions.

Since its inception, FOIA has become a popular tool of inquiry for journalists, scholars, businesses, lawyers, consumers and environmental groups. It has helped bring openness to the workings of government.

Areas of information that are exempt for release under FOIA include: personal privacy information, certain classified national defense and foreign relations matters, and trade and business secrets. The law does not apply to the two other branches of the U.S. government — the judicial (federal courts) and legislative (Congress) — or states. Individual states have their own FOIA-type laws that cover state government information.

In 1996, FOIA went digital when Congress revised the law to provide for public access to information in electronic form. Federal agencies provide information online on how to make requests for documents.

On his second day in office, January 21, President Obama instructed the Department of Justice to further enhance accessibility of information to the public. Attorney General Eric Holder, whose department oversees the handling and administration of FOIA requests among federal agencies, issued a set of guidelines on March 19 implementing Obama’s order.

Calling Obama’s directive “a sea change in the way transparency is viewed across the government,” Holder said FOIA “reflects our nation’s fundamental commitment to open government” and the new guidelines are “meant to underscore that commitment and to ensure that it is realized in practice.”

The new guidelines, which apply to all executive branch agencies, include a requirement that when responding to an information request, agencies should ask: “What can I release?” An agency should not withhold information simply because it is technically allowed to do so.

The guidelines also call for:

• Releasing records in part when they cannot be released in full.

• Ensuring discretionary release of documents when possible.

• Working cooperatively with requests and responding promptly.

• Better reporting by agency FOIA personnel to the Department of Justice.

The new guidelines aim to make the FOIA process more efficient and quicker. In 2006, the 30 federal agencies with the largest volume of requests reported receiving more than 774,000 requests for access to information under FOIA.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OVERSEAS

Other nations have seen firsthand the impact of greater government transparency through FOIA-type laws.

The United Kingdom’s Freedom of Information Act, passed in 2000 but only implemented over the past few years, recently helped American freelance journalist Heather Brooke expose a government scandal. The journalist, who lives and works in the United Kingdom, used her experience as an investigative reporter in the United States to make FOIA requests on the expense claims of members of Parliament.

Brooke’s request kicked off a vigorous debate in the House of Commons on whether the governing Labour Party could get an exemption for expense claims under the new law.

A major British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, gained access to some of the information and wrote a series of stories identifying 80 members of Parliament as alleged abusers of government expense accounts. The findings led to the resignation of the speaker of the House of Commons.

China is also experiencing greater government transparency after it recently promulgated its Regulations on the Disclosure of Government Information. The year-old law has resulted in more openness, an example being the Ministry of Finance’s decision to publish the government’s 2009 budget on the Internet on March 20. More environmental information has been released to the Chinese public over the past year.

Like its U.S. counterpart, the new Chinese FOIA also mandates that government agencies issue an annual public report on their progress in disclosing information to the public.

Источник: U.S. Embassy, Dushanbe

Pulod Umarov, former editor of the Tong newspaper and his two accomplices –Surayo Umarova, former accountant of this newspaper, and Dodojon Kasymov, an entrepreneur, are adjudged guilty by the Khujand city court. The criminals are charged for document forgery.

The Khujand city court convicted the criminals to two years in prison according to Article 340 Part two of the Tajik Criminal Code (forgery). However, on the basis of Article 71 of the Tajik Criminal Code, the court assumed a decision to transform the punishment into conditional sentence.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

The Media Alliance of Tajikistan (MAT) has expressed concern over a confrontation between two private newspapers – “Nigoh” and “Ozondagon”.

“The analysis of recent publications in the newspapers containing mutual accusations is the evidence of a growing conflict potential between the parties, which is threatening to grow into a protracted “information war”, — says the MAT press release.

The media community has been undertaking essential efforts to consolidate journalists and media outlets. Such incidents are bringing these efforts to naught.

Members of the Media Alliance are confident that any conflicts and frictions within the media community – especially those concerning the issues of professionalism and the media market – severely affect the solidarity, democracy and the freedom of speech in the country.

The Media Alliance is especially concerned about the formal reason for the souring relations between “Nigokh” and “Ozondagon” – the publications reflecting political and economic interests of certain business structures and politicians. This seriously affects the image of all media in the country, which must play the role of an independent watchdog and an institution of public control over the authorities.

http://avesta.tj/

This monitoring presents a compilation of reports from Tajikistan’s media and private reports from the NANSMIT monitoring network in the country

Coordinator of the Monitoring Network in Tajikistan:
Abdufattokh Vokhidov
Head of the Legal Service:
Orifjon Azimov
Head of the Project in Tajikistan:
Nuriddin Karshibayev

Freedom of Speech in Tajikistan
June 2009

In June 2009 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 19 reports. Ten of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of socio-legal and political environment; five reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and four reports describe conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. PECULIARITIES OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY DEFINING THE FACTUAL SITUATION IN THE MEDIA

1. Public speeches and statements of superior officials defining the factual situation in the mass media

19 June
Bibishamsia Abdurakhimova, deputy mayor of Kurgan-Tube city, Khatlon prov ince

The first press center is opened in Kurgan-Tube city. It is headed by an experienced journalist Usmon Tuichiev.

“The press center will help resolving problems of access to information about activities of the mayor’s office”, — said deputy mayor of the city Bibishamsia Abdurakhimova.

2. Evaluation of the factual status of the media and the freedom of speech

12 June
Tajik Times, English-language newspaper, Dushanbe

On 12 June Nurali Shoev, a well-known Tajik journalist held a presentation of a new English-language newspaper “Tajik Times”.

The newspaper covers the issues of politics, economy, culture, science and healthcare. The newspaper will be disseminated in foreign embassies and international organizations accredited in Tajikistan. The new weekly has 16 pages; circulation is 500 copies.

24 June
Independent Tajik television, Dushanbe

On 18 June the independent TV company Simoi Mustakili Tojikiston celebrated its second anniversary. (Asia Plus weekly, #25, 24.06.09).

According to Zinatullo Ismoilov, director of the TV company, the media enterprise has modern digital equipment and is capable to produce video programs in various genres.

Ismoilov says that his journalists are able to conduct any journalist investigation in shortest time. “Moreover, our TV channel is a tribune for various opinions and viewpoints”, — he added. — “We started broadcasting with ten people, having only one room. At present we have 25 experienced employees”.

4. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

25 June
All media, Dushanbe

A round table “The media in conditions of financial crisis: problems and proposed solutions” was held by the Union of Journalists of Tajikistan (UJT). More than 30 publishers, directors of printing outlets and broadcasting media from different regions of Tajikistan gathered to discuss how to survive in the conditions of crisis and rescue their information product, human and intellectual potential.

25 June
Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – XXI Century”, Dushanbe

Independent School of Journalism “Tajikistan – XXI Century” has launched the first practical journalism training for 60 listeners. The course is to be held within the framework of the annual project “Strengthening professional knowledge and skills among young journalists” supported by the IPDC UNESCO and the Democracy Commission under the US Embassy in Dushanbe.

Classes are held twice a week in Tajik and Russian groups covering the thematic areas “Printing media”, “Radio” and “Television”.

II. VIOLATION OF RIGHTS IN THE MEDIA

1. Impediments to professional activities

1 June
Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly, Dushanbe

On 1 June Galina Dzutseva, correspondent and Gulnora Amirshoeva, editor of the Tajik weekly Vetcherny Dushanbe were visited by Safarali Zainutdinov, an official from mayor’s office, who demanded proof of the facts described in a published article (Vetcherny Dushanbe, #17, April 2009).

2 June
Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly, Dushanbe

The Tajik security officers did not permit Jamila Khuseinova and Elena Pastorova, correspondents of Vetcherny Dushanbe to make pictures of President Emomali Rakhmon at a ceremony in Dushanbe on occasion of launching new residential houses.

2. Ungrounded denial of publicly important information

1 June
Asia Plus weekly, Kulyab, Khatlon province

Turko Dikaev, correspondent of the Asia Plus weekly in Khatlon told NANSMIT monitoring service that from now on, journalists would need to approach the Interior Ministry’s press service in order to receive simple summary reports on road accidents in the province.

Head of the province traffic police Talbi Safarov said that the order was received from senior authorities.

12 June
Sanitary epidemiological service, Sughd province

Correspondent of the Asia Plus news agency Bakhtior Valiev approached the sanitary epidemiologic station in Sughd province with a request of information on the quality of water in Syr-Darya river and the Kairakkum water reservoir. Deputy director of the sanitary service said that this information can be shared with the media only after obtaining permission from superior authorities.

3. Impediments in dissemination of printing products

11 June
Paikon newspaper

On 11 June the newspaper Paikon disappeared from kiosks in the city of Khujand. The newspaper is printed in Dushanbe and delivered to Khujand by plane. The airport services answered that the newspapers were delivered on 10 June, but street and kiosk vendors did not receive any copies.

After a while it became clear that somebody confiscated the whole consignment. The reason for that was an article about ethnic frictions between Tajiks and Uzbeks in the province.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO THE MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Accusation of document forgery

9 June
Tong newspaper, Khujand, Sughd province

Former editor of the Tong newspaper and his colleagues Surayo Umarova, accountant and Dodojon Kasymov, entrepreneur are adjudged guilty in document forgery by the Khujand city court.

the three persons were sentenced to two years in prison, according to Article 340, part two of the Tajik Criminal Code. However, the court took a decision to change the punishment for probation, according to Article 71 of the Tajik Criminal Code.

2. Claim for protection of honor, dignity and business reputation affected by publication of certain data

4 June
Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly, Dushanbe

Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly (#23, 04.06.09) complains that very often publications provoke numerous complaints and demands to apologize and confute certain statements. One of such complaints came from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. The Ministry says that its reputation has been harmed because the author of the publication did not properly checked the facts described in the article.

19 June
National Bank of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan Sharif Rakhimzoda published an article in Ozodagon weekly (#24, 18.06.09) in response to a publication on 21 May 2009 titled “The national currency has gone down in value by 32 percent”.

Rakhimzoda thanked the author for his comprehensive analysis. Along with that, he says the following: “Regrettably, many media in the country are under the influence of interests of certain groups and individuals. I urge journalists to apply their professionalism while they present the situation in the domestic economy”.

This report is based on compiled materials from the media and private information presented by correspondents of the NANSMIT Monitoring Network

Coordinator of the Monitoring Service
Abdufattokh Vokhidov

Project Manager
Nuriddin Karshibayev

This monitoring presents a compilation of reports from Tajikistan’s media and private reports from the NANSMIT monitoring network in the country

Coordinator of the Monitoring Network in Tajikistan:
Abdufattokh Vokhidov

Head of the Legal Service:
Orifjon Azimov

Head of the Project in Tajikistan:
Nuriddin Karshibayev

In May 2009 the NANSMIT Monitoring Service received 17 reports. Ten of them describe the factual situation in the media in the light of socio-legal and political environment; three reports describe direct violations of rights of media professionals; and four reports describe conflicts and accusations against the media and journalists.

I. PECULIARITIES OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL CLIMATE IN THE COUNTRY DEFINING THE FACTUAL SITUATION IN THE MEDIA

1. Public speeches and statements of superior officials defining the factual situation in the mass media

6 May
All media, Dushanbe

On the eve of the International Freedom of Press Day the international non-governmental organization Freedom House published a traditional report Global Press Freedom 2009.

Tajikistan is rated 168-th among the 195 countries, where Freedom House assessed freedom and security of the media. Tajikistan shares this line with Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Sudan.

2. Journalists protecting their civil and professional rights

2 May
Bobojon Ikromov, freelance journalist, Khujand, Sughd province

Well-known Tajik journalist Bobojon Ikromov received an international award “Intellect of the Nation” for his merits in intellectual development of the society and high professional achievements. The conferment ceremony took place in Moscow, Russia, on 29 April, within the framework of the program Leaders of the XXI Century.

4 May
All media, Dushanbe

Dushanbe hosted a round table on the occasion of the International Free Pres Day. The event was organized by the National Association of Independent Media, Tajikistan (NANSMIT), the Tajik Union of Journalists, the Media Alliance of Tajikistan and the International Association of Persian-language Journalists “Afruz” under support of the OSCE Bureau in Tajikistan.

Human rights activists suggested to exclude the article from the Tajik Criminal Code establishing criminal responsibility for libel and defamation. Authoritative specialists on international law say that in many countries such accusations as libel and defamation of honor and dignity are considered in court in accordance with civil investigative demands.

Articles 135 and 136 of the Tajik Criminal Code limit the freedom of speech and expression. With this purpose in view, the Tajik media NGOs and professional unions set up a commission, which will prepare recommendations and proposals to the government and the parliament of Tajikistan.

8 May
IWPR, Dushanbe

The Tajik office of the British Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is going to expand the regional network of journalists from remote areas. With this purpose in view, IWPR held a two-day training course on international standards of journalism for media professionals in the rural regions of Tajikistan.
Lola Olimova, IWPR representative in Tajikistan says that the training was conducted within the framework of the IWPR project “Human rights and legal education through the media” financed by the European Commission. The Eurasia Foundation, which implements its own project “Tajik Regional Network of Correspondents”, was a co-organizer of the training.

13 May
Tajik media organizations

The Tajik Union of Journalists, the National Association of Independent Media, Tajikistan (NANSMIT), the Media Alliance of Tajikistan and the Tajik Memorial Fund of Journalists dessiminated a joint statement expressing concerns regarding purposeful criminal persecution of Ozodbek Khosabekov, the author of an open letter addressed to deputy prime minister Asadullo Gulomov. The letter was published in the Asia Plus weekly (#2, 10 January 2008). The author criticized the Civil Construction Department in Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous province for no-purpose spending of national funds.

The Tajik media organizations have approached the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor’s Office to protect Khosabekov’s constitutional right on freedom of expression and fair justice.

II. VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS AMONG JOURNALISTS AND THE MEDIA

1. Impeding access to the Internet

3 May
Babilon-Т, Internet provider, Dushanbe

Participants of the seminar “Access to Information in Tajikistan: legislation and practice” held in Khojaobigarm (70 kilometers to the North from the Tajik capital) on 1-3 May failed to open the web site of NANSMIT — www.nansmit.tj

Organizers of the seminar took good care of logistical provisions, including wireless access to the Internet. Consultants from the UK and Kazakhstan expressed a desire to familiarize themselves with the web resource of NANSMIT. They managed to open the web site only through the anonymizer software (it hides the opening IP address).

NANSMIT expressed its concerns to managers of the Babilon-T company. The conflict was resolved under mediation of Asomuddin Atoev, chairman of the Association of Internet Providers of Tajikistan. According to Asoev, Babilon-T did not have any bad intentions, and the problem was caused by technical reasons.

2. Violation of the principle of publicity of lawsuit

21 May
Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly, Dushanbe

Galina Dzutseva, correspondent of the Vetcherny Dushanbe weekly was refused access to courtroom for hearings on the case of Mr. Mirzoev, former director of the city zoo. The director was accused of neglect of official duties in relation to an accident in April 2006, when a little girl was maimed by a bear.

Four years have passed, but the litigation is not over. The proceedings were being held in an open court, but journalists were not allowed to attend it.

III. CONFLICTS. VIOLATIONS INCRIMINATED TO THE MEDIA AND JOURNALISTS

1. Accusation of embezzlement and document forgery

25 May
Pulod Umarov, former editor of the Tong newspaper, Khujand, Sughd province

The Khujand city court scheduled hearings on the case of Pulod Umarov, former editor of the Tong newspaper for 25 May. However, the hearings were postponed until a “special order” is issued by the authorities (according to the court secretary Mr. Rakhmatov).

Pulod Umarov and two other persons – accountant of the newspaper S. Umarova and entrepreneur D. Toshmatov are accused of embezzlement and document forgery, on Articles 257 and 340 of the Tajik Criminal Code.

2. Claims on protection of honor, dignity and business reputation following publication of certain data

7 May
Khoji Akbar Turajonzoda, parliamentarian, Dushanbe

On 9 April the newspaper Sobitiya (Events) published an article titled “Turajonzoda is a KGB agent”. Khoji Akbar Turajonzoda is a famous and, in some sense, a notorious figure in the Tajik political arena. In the early 1990-s he was holding a post of Kazi Kalon (superior spiritual leader of Tajik Muslims); at present he is a member of the Tajik parliament.

On 7 May Turajonzoda published his feedback on the article in the Ozodagon weekly. He says that he ahs been asking the editor of Sobitiya to publish his original confutation and to make public the name of the author of the previous article, since he wants to file a charge against him in court, but the editor declines his request inventing new reasons every time.

Additional relevant information is available at this link: http://www.asiaplus.tj/en/news/19/42500.html

14 May
Khoji Akbar Turajonzoda, parliamentarian, Dushanbe

Tajik Aluminum Company (Talco) released a statement over an article titled “Ravobiti Nek bo Russia ba Manfiyati Milli Most” (Good Relations with Russia Are for the Benefit of Our National Interests) by member of the Majlisi Milli (Tajikistan’s upper chamber of parliament) Hoji Akbar Turajonzoda that was published in the Dushanbe weekly, Farazh, on February 5.

In the statement, Tajik aluminum group expressed disagreement with position of Mr. Turajonzoda over the fate of the Tajik aluminum smelter.

Speaking in an interview with Farazh, Turajonzoda noted that proceedings from its national interests, Tajikistan ought to sell the aluminum plant the Russian Federation that would allow the national budget to receive additional considerable funds.

In the meantime, Talco notes that receipts to the republican budget from payments made by Talco are increasing. In 2005, Talco transferred 135 million somoni in taxes and other payments to the country’s budget, while in 2008, this figure reached 270 million somoni, according to the statement. In 2004, Talco paid 11 million US dollars for electricity supplies, while last year, the company’s electricity supply payments exceeded 100 million US dollars, the statement noted.

On the preferential terms created by the government for Talco, the statement noted that Russia’s aluminum company RusAl, for example, now paid 0.15-0.85 cent for 1 kWh of electricity, while Talco currently paid for electricity supplies at the rate of 1.5 cents per 1 kWh. “RusAl pays taxes at the rate of 45 US dollars per one ton of primary aluminum, while Talco pays taxes at the rate of 197 US dollars per one ton of aluminum,” the statement said.

This report is based on compiled materials from the media and private information presented by correspondents of the NANSMIT Monitoring Network

Coordinator of the Monitoring Service
Abdufattokh Vokhidov

Project Manager
Nuriddin Karshibayev

The Tajik parliament’s lower house has adopted amendments to the law on the National Bank of Tajikistan that put more power in the hands of the country’s president and ban central bankers from doing business with private companies, RFE/RL’s Tajik service reports.

Other changes include a requirement that all National Bank profits go directly to the state treasury.

The measures are seen as a response to inspections of Tajikistan’s central bank last year by an independent British auditor that revealed some $1 billion in irregularities between 2004 and 2008.

Tajik officials have been hard-pressed to explain the financial shortcomings.

Among other things, the Tajik president should now propose candidates for seven-year terms to chair the central bank, and retired bankers will be included on the bank’s governing board.

http://www.rferl.org/content/Tajik_Deputies_Amend_Law_On_National_Bank/1742372.html

Safo Safarov, executive director of the School told the Asia Plus news agency that the new training courses are organized for young media professionals working for both printing and electronic media. The project is supported by UNESCO and the Democracy Development Commission under the US Embassy to Tajikistan.

About 120 young journalists aged 18-30 will take part in the training sessions, which will be held twice a week in Tajik and Russian language groups during the summer. The courses are sub-divided by topics: “Printing media”, “Radio” and “Television”.

Upon the accomplishment of the courses, the youngest journalists (mainly students of Tajik universities) will have a chance to pass internship in the leading domestic electronic media.

The Tajik Independent School of Journalism will provide participants of the course with relevant equipment and access to the Internet.

www.asiaplus.tj

To the surprise of some Tajiks suffering from recent mudslides and floods, an unlikely friend has extended a helping hand. Uzbekistan, which for much of the post-Soviet era has had bitter relations with Tajikistan, recently delivered emergency food and reconstruction aid to help its blighted neighbor.

Heavy April and May rains have caused deadly mudslides and ruined crops across vast areas of Tajikistan. At least 28 people have been killed since late April and up to 15,000 displaced by the weather-related catastrophe, according to UN and government estimates. Responding to a May 20 plea for help, Tashkent promised 1,400 tons of emergency food and building materials. A train carrying the aid arrived on May 23, the Avesta news agency reported.

Some 22,000 hectares of the country’s premiere cash-generating cotton crop have been destroyed, according to the Tajik Agriculture Ministry. Overall, 40,000 hectares of crops, worth at least $20 million, have been ruined. The affected areas represent roughly 5 percent of all land under cultivation in Tajikistan. Forty of the country’s 58 districts have reported suffering damage from natural disasters. The devastation could lead to dire shortages of essential foodstuffs in the coming months.

Azizbek Sharipov, Chairman of Tajikistan’s National Association of Farmers said it is too late in the season to replant cotton, as the soil is oversaturated with water. Adding to their burden, «most, if not all farmers are looking for loans to buy seeds and other necessities for [replanting],» he told EurasiaNet. Even if some farmers can procure seeds, the Agriculture Ministry has admitted that a fuel shortage poses an additional obstacle to replanting. As a result, some farmers may lose up to half their future cotton harvest.

For the past two years, Tajikistan has been reeling from a combination of drastic shortages of heating, electricity and food, as well as natural disasters. In a letter sent to the United Nations on May 18, the Tajik government expressed concern that the weather was projected to remain rainy in the weeks to come, leaving the country vulnerable to more mudslides.

«Although the government has the relevant infrastructure and disaster response plans in place, it is still missing the capacity to cope with these challenges alone,» says Goulsara Pulatova, Regional Director for the UN’s International Strategy of Disaster Reduction (ISDR). Pulatova suggests international assistance should be primarily focused on communities’ capacity building, since many villages are located in isolated mountainous areas.

A variety of international aid organizations have issued emergency appeals for disaster relief in Tajikistan. On May 23, the International Federation of the Red Cross called for over $800,000 in donations, either in cash or in durable items such as tents, to assist 726 recently displaced families.

In its appeal for 2009, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) suggested that, even before the recent rains, Tajikistan stood on the precipice of a humanitarian emergency. Harsh weather during the 2008-09 winter season was projected to put a large percentage of Tajik households in danger of hunger, according to the FAO appeal, which was issued in late 2008.

«One-third of severely food-insecure households reported to have consumed their seed stock, while 15 percent sold much-needed livestock for cash in order to meet basic needs. Inadequate storage facilities caused preventable losses to key productive assets, including over 50 percent of potato seeds. Without assistance, farmers will be unable to purchase the basic inputs they need to ensure an adequate harvest, and increased food security, by spring 2009,» the appeal stated.»

«Tajikistan is prone to frequent natural disasters — such as earthquakes, floods, avalanches, and drought — which increasingly erode the food production capacity, purchasing power and food security of the country’s most vulnerable and resource-poor communities,» the FAO appeal continued. «Thousands of households risk long-term destitution and heightened vulnerability to future shocks if assistance is not provided to restore food production and livelihoods in a way that is conducive to lasting recovery.»

Posted May 28, 2009 © Eurasianet
http://www.eurasianet.org

EurasiaNet

Источник: http://www.eurasianet.org