Summary: August 27, 2001: Humanitarian response to the population threatened by famine in Tajikistan: 2 million Euro to enhance food security (Brussels)
The European Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), which comes under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson, has moved quickly to pledge humanitarian assistance for drought-struck Tajikistan. The country once again faces the specter of crop failures leading to severe food shortages.
The Commission has received funding requests from a number of humanitarian agencies and a formal emergency aid decision is in the pipeline. Given that food aid commitments have already been made by other humanitarian agencies, the Commission allocation will be primarily intended to help vulnerable rural families to boost their crop yields in the next growing season and thus, to increase food security.
Projects foreseen will notably include the rehabilitation of existing irrigation systems and the construction of new ones, focusing on the final distribution networks (rather than the primary systems). Linked to this, ECHO will fund the supply of seeds and fertilizers to irrigated land.
The emphasis will be on the small kitchen gardens, which are a vital source of food for most rural households. These can supply up to 75% of household food needs, offer opportunities for income generation and make a significant contribution to the nutritional status of the population. The seed component is crucial. Wheat is the staple crop and, as seeds planted in winter are higher yielding than those planted in spring, the wheat seed needs to be procured and distributed speedily.
The funds will be channeled through a number of ECHO's NGO partners and the IFRC, who are already present in the affected areas and have experience of this kind of operation.
This proposed emergency action is in addition to ECHO's global humanitarian aid plan for Tajikistan in 2001, which was adopted earlier this year and allocates €10 million for assistance to the food, medical and water/sanitation sectors.
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