Introduction
The Central Asia region comprises the countries of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
It is prone to natural hazards and particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
What are the needs?
The countries of Central Asia are extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, drought, heavy rainfall, avalanches, heat waves and other extreme weather events are becoming increasingly problematic for the environment, economy and health of the regions’ inhabitants.
These disasters cause loss of life, destroy homes, infrastructure and livelihoods, and hinder long-term development. The region has also seen conflicts exacerbated by environmental stress such as water shortages.
Disaster risk reduction has become a priority for the entire region. While there has been significant progress in the last years, Central Asia still strives to strengthen its disaster management capacity.
How are we helping?
The EU launched its humanitarian operations in Central Asia in 1994 to respond to the needs generated by the civil war in Tajikistan. Since then, the EU has allocated over €236 million in humanitarian assistance to Central Asia in response to various humanitarian crises.
Between 2003 and 2018, the EU built up its support to disaster preparedness activities in the region, including its flagship programme called ‘DIPECHO’. In total, the EU funded over 110 projects in disaster preparedness in the region.
In 2022, the EU piloted a 3-year programmatic partnership in Central Asia with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The initiative aims to contribute strengthening the resilience of vulnerable communities that are exposed to both natural disasters, man-made crises and epidemics.
It also supports the improvement their capacities to anticipate, prepare, mitigate their impact and recover from events.
In 2024, the EU has made available €700,000 for Central Asia, including €200,000 for the emergency response to widespread flooding that hit many parts of Kazakhstan in early April, displacing over 117,000 people in affected areas.
The funding helped deliver essential assistance to those severely affected by the disaster, such as cash assistance to help affected people buy what they need most, as well as mattresses, bed linen, and hygiene promotion to keep diseases from spreading.
The remaining funding has been invested in strengthening the disaster preparedness capacities in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
Last updated: 12/12/2024