The IssuesKyrgyzstan is prone to natural disasters. Landslides are a regular occurrence because of deforestation, heavy rains, melting snow and soil erosion. Floods are also common, particularly in autumn. These disasters have caused fatalities and injuries, and invariably destroy homes and infrastructure. People who are uprooted must then find a way to re-establish their livelihoods. At the end of 2006 and beginning of 2007, within two months, Kyrgyzstan had two minor earthquakes. A major earthquake could well occur as the country experiences frequent seismic activity. Such an earthquake would have disastrous consequences for Bishkek and other major cities. The main technological hazard is the uranium waste that was dumped in the area in the Soviet era. Uranium dumps are found in the south near the city of Jalalabad and present a constant risk of radioactive contamination of water and agricultural produce. The regular occurrence of landslides in the same area increases this risk. The vulnerability of children is only increased by Kyrgyzstan’s political and economical instability and the volatile situation across the whole of Central Asia. In May 2005, for example, violence in Andijan in Uzbekistan resulted in an influx of approximately 500 refugees to Jalalabad, including some 96 women and 22 children. All needed immediate help.
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