U.S. Assistance in Response to the Current Humanitarian Crisis in the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

June 23, 2010

The United States is deeply concerned about and closely monitoring developments in the Kyrgyz Republic and the affected border regions of Uzbekistan. The United States supports international efforts to facilitate peace and order and the provision of humanitarian assistance coordinated by the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The United States intends to provide approximately $32 million to programs for humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and community stabilization.

These funds will be directed to meeting immediate humanitarian needs, providing assistance to displaced and returning families, and also to addressing the roots of the conflict through community development and conflict mitigation programs in the southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Assistance Committed to Date:

• $217,000 in medical and relief supplies from the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek’s Pre-Staged Disaster Package has been delivered to hospitals in Osh and Jalal-Abad. Emergency relief commodities, valued at $34,000, have been provided to refugees in Uzbekistan.

• $100,000 has been allocated to respond to the refugee crisis in Uzbekistan and the internally displaced persons (IDP) situation in the Kyrgyz Republic.

• The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $15.1 million for immediate assistance to the southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic and rapid community improvement and stabilization projects throughout the country.

• USAID has authorized $5.85 million for immediate expenditure for community improvement and stabilization projects, including a broad range of community defined projects that may include construction of small scale infrastructure, assistance to improve government operations, employment opportunities, and skills training for disenfranchised populations in the Kyrgyz Republic.

• USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) provided $1.6 million to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs to support health, protection, water, sanitation, hygiene and information management interventions.

Additional USAID disaster expert staff is currently in Bishkek to work with U.N. agencies, NGOs, U.S. Government representatives, identify emergency humanitarian needs, and coordinate relief efforts in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek and U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

• The U.S. will transport two shipments of medicines and medical supplies to Osh, Kyrgyz Republic and to Andijan, Uzbekistan.

• The interagency Civilian Response Corps is deploying a ten-person stabilization team of U.S. Government personnel to assist with immediate crisis response and on-going stabilization requirements surrounding the referendum and Parliamentary elections, including the establishment of a temporary U.S. operational platform in the southern capital of Osh.

Planned Assistance:

• USAID intends to provide an additional $1.7 million for humanitarian assistance to the southern regions of the Kyrgyz Republic including for the purchase and delivery of medicines, medical supplies, and hygiene items and provide shelter.

• The U.S. stands ready to provide up to $5 million in response to appeals from the International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent and the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees for activities in the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan.

• The Department of State intends to provide $1.5 million for projects that support strong democratic processes and institutions, human rights protections, and an engaged civil society.

• USAID intends to use $1 million to supplement supplies of fertilizers, fuel and other inputs this summer to help safeguard the fall harvest in the Kyrgyz Republic.

As soon as the security situation allows, the U.S. Government will begin deliveries of additional medical and other supplies donated by U.S. corporations and charities to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Secretary of Defense Gates has authorized the Department of Defense to support humanitarian assistance in the Kyrgyz Republic with the provision of medical and relief supplies and transportation of humanitarian relief personnel through the Manas Transit Center.

These commitments are in addition to the United States’ ongoing annual assistance programs for the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan.