Tajikistan faces food shortages

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies (IFRC) reported on 31 August that Tajikistan was facing a serious food shortage as a result of this year’s drought. Roger Bracke, leader of the Federation’s assessment and coordination (FACT) team assessing the drought in the Central Asia region, said food shortages would arise in the next three months: “We have to take action right now to set up a system for widespread food distribution, to get the food in the country before the harsh winter halts all logistic actions. That is the emergency. It is very real.” The Tajikistan Ministry of Agriculture disclosed that this year’s wheat harvest was approximately 236,000 mt - half the tonnage harvested in 1999. It also stated that national cereal production would be sufficient for only three months. Citing the WFP and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the IFRC report said that almost half the population of Tajikistan or approximately three million people were facing a shortage of food. The report added that with existing food pledges amounting to 74,000 mt, and commercial imports of 400,000 mt, “the uncovered food gap for 2000/01 is projected at 313,000 mt.” Prices were now no longer affordable for most people in Tajikistan as prices for most food products such as meat, suger, rice and oil had risen substantially, it said.