T he World

Humanitari-

an Day, the

Day which honours

those, who have lost

their lives in humani-

tarian service and

those, who continue

to bring assistance

and relief to millions,

was celebrated on

August 19 at the

RCST office. Mr.

Ghiyosiddin Mehro-

jov, the RCST Presi-

dent, opened the

meeting and in-

formed the partici-

pants that this day is

designed by the

United Nations in an

effort to raise public

awareness of human-

itarian assistance worldwide and the people who risk their

lives in order to provide it. Ms Debora Chmara, ICRC Coopera-

tion Delegate, said that every day humanitarian aid workers

help millions of people around the world, regardless of who

they are and where they are. She said that humanitarian aid is

based on a number of founding principles, including humanity,

impartiality, neutrality and independence.

A Global Celebration of “People Helping People”

RCST & IFRC JOINT NEWSLETTER #2, August 2011

Saving lives, changing minds

Наҷоти ҳаётҳо, тағйири нигоҳҳо

The Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan

and the International Federation

Country Representation jointly appre-

ciated 12 best volunteers of the RCST

for their efforts to provide life-saving

assistance during the disasters in the

recent years and in every-day activi-

ties.

In order to honour the efforts of the most active and distinguished vol-

unteers and to inspire other youth in providing the hand of assistance to

the people in need, the RCST and the IFRC in Tajikistan awarded the

certificates of the appreciation to the 12 RCST volunteers. They are:

Shabnam Sharofova and Makhfirat Hamroqulova, two young women

from Kulob joined the army of the RC volunteers in the first days of May

2010 horrible floods and together with experienced RCST volunteer Mu-

hammad Saidshoh assisted the rescuers in saving the lives, in providing

the psychological assistance, in disseminating the humanitarian aid and

etc. The same words can be said about Umed Lundishoev, a teacher of a

secondary school, and Rubina Davlatova, a surgeon of Vanj central hospi-

tal, who did their best after January 2010 earthquake at Vanj district. Ak-

bar Mukhtorov joined the Movement ten years ago and by today he is

actively involved in teaching the young volunteers. Jamshed Junaydullo

and Khizr Ergashev are among those, with whom Akbar shared his expe-

rience, they are young and very active volunteers of the RCST in the capi-

tal. Salima Halimova from Vahdat city is fighting against TB and AIDS

together with the RCST since 2007 and Gulnora Kamolova from Rumi

district has been voluntarily providing first aid for four years. Zarrina

Ghafurova is a teacher at Ghonchi district and in addition to the promo-

tion of the RC values and principles to her schoolchildren, she also serves

as a volunteer trainer at DIPECHO programme. Layli Alifbekova is the

youngest among awarded volunteers. She has just graduated from the

secondary school in her Khorugh hometown, but despite of her young age

she already for four years actively participates at all RCST and partners’

events and projects.

In December 2008, the sixty-third session of the UN General

Assembly decided to designate 19 August as the World Hu-

manitarian Day. 19 August is the date on which a bru-

tal terrorist attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad in 2003

killed 22 people, including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello.

This year’s campaign "People Helping People" is about inspir-

ing the spirit of aid work in everyone.

Ms Rafoat Boltaboeva, IFRC Finance Manager in Tajikistan,

telling about the IFRC CR activities in Tajikistan, said that re-

sponding to emergencies is only one aspect of humanitarian

work. Humanitarian workers also support communities to re-

build their lives after disasters, to become more resilient to fu-

ture crises, to advocate for their voices to be heard, and to build

lasting and sustainable peace in areas of conflict. Mr Ab-

dulfattoh Shafiev, RCST/IFRC Communication Consultant,

informed the event participants about the RCST activities and

also showed them a slide-show.

Mr Shafiev also represented IFRC CR and RCST in a meeting at

UNDP office in Dushanbe dedicated to the World Humanitari-

an Day and told the representatives of the governmental bod-

ies, international organisations, local NGOs and local media

about the IFRC CR and the RCST activities.

Tajikistan Delegation at the 2nd

IDRL Conference

Tajikistan delegation consisted of the representa-

tives of MFA, CoES, Border Forces, Customs Ser-

vice, Construction and Architecture Agency, RCST,

IFRC and UNDP offices in Tajikistan joined over

other 60 representatives from state structures of

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uz-

bekistan and UN agencies, ICRC, IFRC and partner

National Societies to take part at the second region-

al disaster laws conference “Strengthening Disaster

Management Laws in Central Asia” in Astana on

17-18 August 2011.

The event was organised by the IFRC, the Kazakh

Red Crescent Society and the Ministry of Emergen-

cy of Kazakhstan together with the UN Office for

the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the

UN Development Programme. The conference was

conducted within the framework of the project

“Building sustainable community resilience

through Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Asia,”

financed by the European Commission Directorate-

general for humanitarian aid.

Participants discussed existing laws, rules and

principles of international humanitarian assistance,

gaps and necessary steps towards legal base im-

provement. This meeting was a follow-up of the

first regional seminar on regional and national

legal preparedness for disasters which took place

in 2009 in Almaty. In this connection this confer-

ence became a platform for discussing what a pro-

gress in introduction of amendments to national

legislation and regional agreements has been

achieved for these years at country and regional

level.

From up to day achievements of this direction in

Tajikistan, the IFRC prepared Introduction to the

Guidelines of the IDRL was translated into Tajiki

and disseminated among the relevant governmen-

tal offices and agencies. Currently, Tajikistan laws,

inter and within-agencies decrees are being study-

ing in order to see the relevance of them into inter-

nationally recognized disaster response laws and

to give the recommendations to the Government

based on the study results.

In a pre-conference meeting in Dushanbe Mr

Shamsuddin Muhiddinov, IFRC CR DM Coordina-

tor, attracted the attention of Tajikistan delegation

into the importance of the laws and regulations

during and after disasters and said that emergency

assistance delivered as efficiently as possible can

reduce the number of deaths, injuries and impact

from disasters and ease the suffering of disaster-

affected populations. Ms Shahlo Rahimova, UNDP

Tajikistan, added that lengthy customs procedures

for relief goods and equipment, difficulties in ob-

taining licenses for telecommunications equipment,

problems with domestic corporate registration

requirements, and visa restrictions are just a few of

the barriers to the delivery of emergency assis-

tance.

Astana conference facilitated exchange of infor-

mation, experiences and resources related to the

facilitation and regulation of international disaster

relief between the five countries (visa procedures

for foreign experts who arrive to affected countries,

customs clearance of humanitarian goods and

many other issues).

New Relief Allocations to the Flood-affected Families

The European Commission has allocated 175,000 somoni (€ 25,000) to

bring relief to the 213 families (1,278 people) affected by the June

floods in Tajikistan's northern province of Sughd. The aid provided by

the European Commission is being channeled through IFRC via the

Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF).

Between June 11 and 12 strong winds and torrential rains caused

floods in Sughd. Worst hit were 12 villages across the districts of Asht,

Ghonchi and Panjakent. The floods also damaged roads, a hospital,

schools, drinking water supply systems, irrigation water supply lines

and electricity lines. Crops and farmland have been devastated in the

area. From the onset of the disaster, the primary needs of people who

were left homeless were taken care of by the Tajikistan Red Crescent

Society with the support of the International Federation of Red Cross

and Red Crescent societies.

The funds had been used to provide basic households items such as

mattresses, blankets, cooking sets and hygiene kits to the families. Families who lost their houses were provided with tents. Since 2003 the

European Commission is supporting local communities and authorities in Tajikistan to prepare for natural disaster in the framework of its

Disaster Preparedness programme. Over 40 projects have helped communities across Tajikistan prepare for natural disasters such as floods,

earthquakes and landslides in order to avoid loss of live and reduce their impact on people's livelihoods.

The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors. For small-scale disasters, the

IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the do-

nors. The contribution agreement between the IFRC and the European Commis-

sion enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in

with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €3 million.

From 2006 to 2011, more than 25,000 people are supported through disaster response operations.

A new Disaster Risk Reduction Project in Dushanbe city was introduced dur-

ing an official ceremony in the capital of Tajikistan by the German Red Cross

and Dushanbe Branch of the Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan.

The official Introductory Project Management Meeting of the new project was

held on 18 August 2011 at Tajikistan Red Crescent Society’s headquarter. The

meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including high-level

representatives from Dushanbe City Administration (Mayor’s Office) – Mr

Nasrullo Khayrulloev, First Deputy Mayor of Dushanbe City; from the Em-

bassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Tajikistan – Mr Pascal Richter,

Deputy Head of Mission; President of the RCST – Mr Ghiyosiddin Mirojov;

from the Tajik Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology of the

Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan (TIEES) – Mr Farshed Karimov, Head of

the Laboratory on Seismologic Expertise; the representatives of Committee of

Emergency Situations and Civil Defence under the Government of the Repub-

lic of Tajikistan (CoES), Dushanbe City Directorate of Education, IFRC, ICRC,

Netherlands Red Cross, Finnish Red Cross and American Red Cross Societies;

the heads of the five communities (mahallas) and the principals of the five

secondary schools covered by the project, as well as other relevant partners

and stakeholders.

The project targets residential areas, which are located in the Ismoili Somoni

and Shohmansur districts, the north-eastern part of Dushanbe, the capital city

of Tajikistan. These areas were selected after consultations with relevant ex-

perts from the TIEES, the CoES, as well as the local authorities, considering

that these areas are most prone to seismic risks and other secondary effects,

including mudflows, flash floods and landslides.

The main goal of the project is to en-

hance the resilience and strengthen the

capacities of the five target communi-

ties and schools to cope with natural

disasters, and particularly seismic

risks. The project will aim to achieve

this through comprehensive, commu-

nity-based disaster risk reduction

activities at the communities and

schools level.

The first step of the project is already

made and groups of representatives of

each mahalla participated at the first

workshop, which aimed to teach them

how to identify the risks and how to

increase the preparedness and preven-

tion ways. The workshop was held by

Ato Muhammad Murtazo Durrani, the

German Red Cross representative

from Pakistan, who also told the par-

ticipants about the experience of Paki-

stani vulnerable villages and commu-

nities. The participants of this work-

shop are expected to teach their neigh-

bours and also to assist the project

trainers in the next trainings and events.

Disaster Risks will be Reduced in the Capital of Tajikistan

Winners Enjoy their Summer

A summer camp for the best schoolchildren from

9 towns and districts of the Sughd viloyat was

organized by the RCST Sughd branch in Jabbor

Rasulov district on 17-23 August 2011.

More than 20 winners of the contest for the best

drawing and composition on disaster prepared-

ness and rendering of first aid had an opportunity

to vary their summer and to enjoy a camp pro-

gramme under the project “Building sustainable

community resilience through Disaster Risk Re-

duction in Central Asia” (DIPECHO-6).

During seven days, sessions and discussions on

disaster preparedness and response, rendering of

first aid, water and sanitation, international hu-

manitarian law and personality development

were conducted in the camp.

Moreover, besides educational sessions, sport

contests on volleyball and football, films on disas-

ter preparedness, interactive games were orga-

nized.

DIPECHO-6 project is successfully implemented

by the Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan

since April 1, 2010. The aim of the project is

to prepare population and schools to dis-

asters. Under this project the RCST Sughd

branch works with 118 schools of Sughd viloyat

based on the Memorandum of Understanding

signed with the Sughd Education Agency.

Fakhriddin Karimov, the RCST Sughd branch

Disaster Management Coordinator, says, under

the project they conduct trainings for teachers on

disaster preparedness, in particular, earthquakes,

covering such themes as compiling family plans

for disaster preparedness, practical exercises on

behaviour during disasters and rendering of first

aid, etc.

Teachers, in their turn, after being trained, pass

their knowledge to schoolchildren using educa-

tional programme. Each school already covered

three classes.

Also, the simulation exercises were conducted in

all schools for strengthening the gained

knowledge on disaster; exchange of visits was

organized among teachers; different contests on

different topics were conducted among school-

children, etc.

Project Fact Sheet:

Name: Disaster Risk Reduction

in Dushanbe

Location: Dushanbe’s 5 most

vulnerable mahallas

Implementing agency: Red

Crescent Society of Tajikistan’s

Dushanbe Branch

Donors: Ministry of Foreign

Affairs of Germany; German

Red Cross

Duration: 18 months (until end

of 2012)

Targeted Mahallas:

Zahmatobod

Surkhob

Kuhdoman

Buston

K. Khujandi

About 7,000 schoolchildren participated at disaster preparedness and first aid provision trainings under DIPECHO-6 programme in 2011.

Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Monthly Newsletter #2, August 2011

Circulation: 90 120, Umar Khayyom str., Dushanbe, 734017. Republic of Tajikistan

Tel.: (+992 37) 2240374; 2240033; 2244296 Tel/Fax: (+992 37) 224 4433; 224 8520

E-mails: abdulfattoh@inbox.ru; ganjina_bobokulova@ifrc.org

WebBlog: www.tajikistanrc.wordpress.com

M ines remain traces in the hearts—is the name of a book prepared by two RCST volun-

teers from Isfara, which describes the activities RCST carried out in the framework of

its Mine Risk Education (MRE) programme. B. Yousoufov and S. Mamadova presented

their new book during the latest event held under the project in Sughd viloyat in the end of July. The

seminar brought together the program volunteers and teachers from the jamoats of six border district of

Sughd laid out along the border with Uzbekistan. The purpose of the seminar was to share the updated

information on “Mine action and safe behavior rules in contaminated areas”. The participants praised

the new book and found it interesting.

I n Tajikistan APM were mainly laid in three directions: in the border with Afghanistan (1380km)

by Soviet and Russian troops, in Tajik-Uzbek border in the north of the country by Uzbek bor-

der troops and in central districts as a result of civil war in Tajikistan (1992-1997). For many

years already anti-personnel mines (APM) becomes a pressing problem that pursuits many countries.

Unfortunately, this issue has not left Tajikistan aside. In Registered number of Tajikistan citizens hurt from mine and unexploded ordnances (UXO) in the coun-

try since 1990 is 831 out of which 364 were killed by APM or UXO\ERW (explosive remnants of war). The explosion of mine impacts not only on the life of indi-

vidual victims, but also deprives their families of happiness, and impacts on the socio-economical level too. A family which lose its breadwinner faces financial

problems, an invalid who lost his/her leg or hands in the explosion, also becomes a burden for the family, as only the family will take care of the victim, no one

else.

N egative results that come out from Mine/UXO hazard impacted daily life of people forced to live in contaminated areas and the Red Crescent Soci-

ety of Tajikistan could not remain indifferent in this situation. Ten years ago, it was the initiative of the RCST to start the activities on Mine Risk

Education (MRE) with the support of the ICRC and in fact it was the beginning of mine action program in Tajikistan. The MRE program of RCST

is being implementied in Sughd and Khatlon regions of the country and tries to cover as much people as possible. Some 27 MRE volunteers from 13 border

districts are involved in program implementation. Also the RCST district branches and local authorities make their contribution in raising the awareness of

people that decreases number of mine explosion in the areas.

E xplosion avoiding and how to provide the first aid is described in the more than 2,700 informational materials, such as

leaflets and brochures, prepared under the project and disseminated among the population of bordering districts covering

more than 20.000 people in both Sughd and Khatlon viloyats during six months of the current year. It should be mentioned

that after the recent instabilities in Rasht valley, the RCST was the only organization permitted to conduct safety and security work-

shops for the local population and during this year five trainings were held there telling the people how to behave during the possible

battles and operations and how to provide the first aid if somebody was injured or exploded.

Recently, a round table was organized by Tajik Mine Action Centre aimed to discuss issues on enhancing MRE and Mine Victims

Assistance (MVA) in Sughd border districts with mine action stakeholders in the county and also to start survey activities in one of

the districts in Sughd region. The survey groups started their activities in close collaboration with the RCST MRE volunteers on data

gathering in the jamoats laid along the borders. We hope that these gleams of hope soon grow to an effective activity that release most of

mined lands and people can live in more safe areas.

Mines remain traces in the hearts

Registered Mines

Victims in

Tajikistan:

364

deaths

467

injured

We Increase the Preparedness!

In August, 12 simulation exercises were conducted in 12

communities covered by the DIPECHO 6 project in

Sughd according to the preliminary and agreed plan

with the branches of CoES in each district. Exercises were

facilitated on the basis of scenarios with involvement of

local population living in disaster prone areas. During

simulation exercises disaster management officers from

the RCST branches distributed two kinds of leaflets on

Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change in order to

raise awareness of local population.

We Adapt to the Changes!

“Climate Change Adaptation. Best practices in communities”

seminars were held in Kulob city on August 17, Vose’ district on

August 19 and Sughd viloyat on August 26-27. Schoolteachers,

university teachers, representatives from villages, LDMC

representatives and local authorities have participated in

seminars. During the seminars communities best practices of

adaptation to climate change consequences in Tajikistan were

shared and possibility of implementing good practices in

Khatlon region were discussed. Those activities of RCST on

CCA were broadcasted by satellite TV “Safina”.

We Think about Future!

The meeting on implementation of National

Disaster Management strategy 2009 – 2015 with

participation of CoES, UNDP DRPM consultant

and RCST Disaster Management Unit staff was

conducted on August 10, 2011. The meeting

resulted that the Red Crescent Society of Tajikistan

will contribute to the National Disaster

Management Strategy following its auxiliary role

and according to signed cooperation

memorandum.