Central Asia

Introduction

The Central Asia region comprises the countries of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. These countries are extremely vulnerable to:

• natural hazards and the effects of climate change
• increasing public health risks
• deeply rooted social vulnerabilities and intra-regional tensions

Facts & figures

EU humanitarian funding:

over €238 million since 1994

What are the needs?

Natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, droughts, 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 resources of the population, and hinder long-term development. The region has also seen conflicts exacerbated by environmental stress such as water shortages. 

Disaster risk reduction

Disaster risk reduction has become a priority for the entire region. While there has been significant progress over the last years, Central Asia still strives to strengthen its disaster management capacity. There is a need for more investment in disaster preparedness and closing the gap between neighbouring countries.

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 €238 million in humanitarian assistance to Central Asia in response to various humanitarian crises. 

EU funding

In 2025, the EU has made available €2 million for Central Asia. This funding supports an action implemented by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) aimed at strengthening institutional capacities for disaster preparedness and response at regional, national, and sub-national levels in all the countries in Central Asia. The initiative places particular emphasis on enhancing multi-hazard contingency planning and simulation exercises, as well as on improving risk mapping and assessments in high-risk communities across Central Asia.

In 2024, the EU made available € 200,000 through the DREF for the emergency response to widespread flooding that hit many parts of Kazakhstan in early April, displacing over 117,000 people. The funding helped deliver essential support such as cash assistance to help affected people buy what they needed most, as well as mattresses, bed linen, and hygiene promotion to keep diseases from spreading. 

In 2022, the EU funded a 3-year global pilot programmatic partnership covering  Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan with IFRC. This was followed by a 2-year regional disaster preparedness project covering the entire region. The project contributed to bolstering coordination amongst Central Asian countries to plan for better preparedness and responses to different types of emergencies, aligning with humanitarian priorities. By collaborating with both intergovernmental and national authorities, the project helped enable the countries to bring forward a regional legal framework that includes joint training exercises, enabling a more effective cross-border cooperation and reinforces response capacities. 

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.