ECHO to slowly phase down operations

The Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission (ECHO) will slowly reduce its operations in Tajikistan, following a gradual improvement in humanitarian conditions inside the mountainous state. "Our plan over the next three years is to phase out if the situation remains as it is," Cecile Pichon, ECHO correspondent for Central Asia told IRIN in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe. "Things are gradually stabilising in Tajikistan. Nonetheless, we will continue to monitor the situation should further needs arise." The move reflects what many donors see as a greater need for long-term development assistance to the impoverished Central Asian nation - and less on humanitarian aid - in what could be described as a transitional phase for the country. And though ECHO, one of the largest humanitarian donors in the country, would ultimately leave, Pichon emphasised the process would be gradual to avoid any gaps in assistance coming through, should humanitarian activities be abruptly cut. "There are still many people who need humanitarian assistance, but ECHO now sees less emphasis on humanitarian needs and more on development," she explained, noting the transition should be done smoothly. Over 83 percent of the country's 6.5 million inhabitants live below the national poverty line, according to the World Bank, while a full 17 percent are considered destitute. Since 1992, ECHO has provided more than 145 million euros worth of humanitarian assistance to Tajikistan, while as part of its 2003/2004 global allocations in March 2003, the European Commission (EC) adopted a 10 million euro aid package to help meet essential humanitarian needs until mid 2004. The funds, provided through ECHO, are being used to provide food, drinking water, medicines and sanitation facilities. A further 8 million euro aid package from ECHO is likely to be adopted in March 2004. The aid targets the most vulnerable groups, including old people, children and people with disabilities. Around 80,000 people are receiving food aid or benefit from household food security projects, while at the same time, access to water and sanitation facilities are being improved for over 250,000 people. Life-saving drugs are being provided to health facilities nationwide. ECHO covers all regions of the mountainous state, with particular emphasis placed on Khatlon, the region worst affected by the recent drought and the country's bloody five year civil war, as well as being home to the highest number of people living in poverty. As for ECHO's disaster preparedness programme (DIPECHO) inside the country, Pichon maintained, this was a special component of their effort which was connected to humanitarian issues, but from a long-term angle. "This programme started in 2003 and we hope to continue," she said. Disaster preparedness is a key issue in Central Asia. Over the past decade, natural disasters such as landslides, floods and earthquakes have killed some 2,500 people and affected 5.5 million people (10 percent of the region's total population) in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. In April 2003, the EC launched a 3 million euro disaster preparedness action plan for Central Asia, with the core of the assistance earmarked for Tajikistan, the most vulnerable of the five countries. Its specific objectives are to strengthen the capacity of local communities to foresee, respond and cope with disasters, as well as to protect vulnerable groups from likely natural disasters through small-scale infrastructure works. A further 2.5 million euro action plan for disaster preparedness in the country is due to be launched by ECHO in April 2004. Meanwhile, ECHO is strengthening its coordination with long-term development instruments that are working to address the many structural challenges facing the country. In keeping with the European Commission's policy, ECHO believes wherever possible, humanitarian operations should be designed and implemented in such a way that their outputs and outcomes support long-term development activities.