Bishkek appeals for international help in landslide aftermath

The Kyrgyz government has asked the international community for assistance to mitigate the consequences of Monday's deadly landslide in the south, which claimed the lives of 33 and left scores homeless. Kyrgyz Prime Minister Nikolai Tanaev met representatives of international organisations and embassies accredited in the Kyrgyz capital on Wednesday, Emil Akmatov, a spokesman for the Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Ministry's civil defence unit, told IRIN from Bishkek on Thursday. "At this meeting, the prime minister aired the government's appeal to the international community to provide assistance for landslide affected people and other families that urgently need to be moved from landslide risk zones and resettled in secure areas," Akmatov said. On Monday, a huge mass of land ripped through the Budalyk village in the southern Kyrgyz province of Osh, killing 33, 16 of whom were children, and injuring 11. According to the Kyrgyz Emergency Ministry, some 2,000 families living in landslide-prone areas need resettlement, 800 of which live under an imminent threat of landslides that could strike at any time. Asked what kind of assistance was needed, Akmatov replied: "There is no restriction on the type of assistance needed and any kind of help would be welcome." "We need everything, including food, clothing, medicine, shelter and money," the Kyrgyz prime minister reportedly said, according to Akmatov, during his meeting with the international organisations and embassy representatives. Based on some estimates, almost US $35 million is needed to move and resettle affected communities living in the landslide prone areas. "This is a huge amount for the country's budget," the emergency official said. Kyrgyzstan's south is prone to various natural disasters, including landslides, floods, mudslides and avalanches. Many people live in high risk areas, Akmatov noted, adding, that in the north rising ground waters were problematic, with health implications, including TB. "All these issues are related to the mountainous terrain of the country," he explained, adding that almost 95 percent of the Central Asian state's territory was mountainous.