Kyrgyzstan: Further Funds for Humanitarian Services Sought

New York, Nov 25 2010 2:10PM
United Nations agencies and their partners in Kyrgyzstan have appealed for an additional $42 million to enable them continue providing humanitarian assistance to more 800,000 people affected by the unrest that rocked southern region of the country in June.

The deadly clashes in the southern cities of Osh and Jalalabad between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks affected nearly half a million people, uprooting nearly 400,000 and sending many fleeing to neighbouring Uzbekistan. Many other people were indirectly affected by the violence.

"The traumatized population, not least the children and other vulnerable groups, continue to require a coordinated response by the international community," said Neal Walker, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Kyrgyzstan.

"The events and their fallout have had a profound

impact on the social and economic situation in the country and the resulting humanitarian needs are still with us. However, I remain positive that should the situation remain stable, these needs can be addressed during the first half of 2011," he added.

The Kyrgyzstan Extended and Revised Flash Appeal launched yesterday builds on the original 18 June Flash Appeal, which was revised to $96.4 million to reflect the rapid return of the displaced population and the results of needs assessments.

To date, humanitarian programmes listed in the original appeal have received $51 million, leaving the revised appeal 55 per cent funded.

A quarter of all the funding came from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which is managed by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The UN and humanitarian partners in Kyrgyzstan have agreed with the Government to extend the humanitarian Flash Appeal for Kyrgyzstan for an additional six months, until the end of June, next year

ENDS

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