Kyrgyzstan

Humanitarian situation

Since the civil unrest in 2010, and despite the peaceful handover of the presidency, parliamentary elections and the ongoing work of restoring peace and reconstructing the south, the situation in Kyrgyzstan continues to be described as “institutionalized instability”. Political, economic, and social insecurities are systemic, with regular turnover of government staff, huge governance and financial problems and unresolved ethnic divisions. The prolonged duration of issues such as an underdeveloped agricultural sector, a crumbling energy sector and declining health standards are symptomatic of a system that is still fragile. The country continues to be plagued by tensions and a possible renewal of ethnically or socio-politically motivated violence cannot be ruled out. Anticipated energy and heating cuts during the approaching winter could increase the level of vulnerability, adding to existing instability and chronic poverty.  In 2012, 357 small- to medium-size natural disasters – mainly floods, mudflows, avalanches and landslides – caused severe damage to infrastructure, including homes, health facilities and schools that were already in bad condition, reducing access to basic services and regularly interrupting the education process. This affected more than 10,000 children whose access to basic services had already been reduced. The increasing number of disasters continues to intensify the vulnerability of children and their families, impacting their well-being.

Results from 2012

In 2012, UNICEF and partners continued applying a convergence- and integrated-area-based approach focusing on increased equity and delivering programmes in health, education, child protection, disaster risk reduction and WASH, while developing capacity at national and local levels. In the area of child protection, child-friendly spaces  were transformed into 11 day-care centres for vulnerable children, including for children with disabilities and children in conflict with the law. The child protection sub-cluster was transformed into a child protection network, which proved to be a useful platform for information sharing and response coordination. A manual on psychosocial support for children during emergencies was developed for distribution among social workers and relevant service providers.

In 2012, at the request of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, UNICEF provided hygiene kits and water purification tablets for 600 people affected by floods and mudflows in Batken province. A plan for hygiene education was also developed. As of October 2012, WASH stocks were sufficient for only 5,000 people, half of the planned coverage. In health and nutrition, UNICEF provided support to the Government to leverage resources covering all children under the age of five with micronutrients. In education, approximately 5,000 children in schools located in border areas and conflict-prone communities in the south are actively participating in child-led peacebuilding activities; about 16,000 children in 40 schools and 2,000 children in 12 preschools have benefited from infrastructure improvements that included the repair of buildings, furniture, WASH facilities and heating systems. Schoolchildren were also provided with information promoting hygiene, peace, tolerance and DRR preparedness. A nationwide schools and preschools safety assessment is being conducted to support the Government in identifying the most vulnerable schools in terms of structural safety and disaster risk vulnerability. A database and maps on school safety, and a state programme on the reconstruction, rehabilitation, and reinforcement of schools and preschools has also been developed.

UNICEF has continued to partner with youth centres to provide non-formal learning opportunities for young people and empower them for civic participation and peacebuilding. The function of the centres is two-fold, serving, in areas that were hot spots during the conflict of June 2012, to bring young people of different ethnic communities together and to provide all of them with skills to better their life situation. Around 2,000 young people participate in activities on a regularly basis, advocating for peacebuilding and the rights of their peers facing vulnerabilities. Around 7,500 young people have received basic computer training and English language lessons. More than 600 young people studied business, and 30 of them established their own small businesses.

UNICEF funding requirements for 2013

In line with the country’s inter-agency contingency plan, UNICEF is requesting US$1,540,000 to meet the humanitarian needs of 20,000 children in Kyrgyzstan in 2013. Without additional funding, UNICEF will be unable to respond to the needs of affected populations with critical WASH, Health and Nutrition, Education and Youth supplies and services and further support the development of disaster risk reduction in educational institutions, ensuring safe and secure learning environments and life skills development for children. In the area of child protection, funds are required for strengthening day-care centres, capacity-building for psychosocial support professionals, distribution of the manual on psychosocial support to social workers, strengthening of the child protection network and for activities on gender-based violence prevention and response. Basic supplies for education, health, child protection are also needed to uphold children rights.