Highlights
At least four people have been killed as a result of floods or mudflow in Panjekent and Aini districts.
An estimated 17,800 people have been directly affected by floods or mudflows in several districts.
The floods/mudflow have damaged more than 2,000 households, around 800 ha of arable land, livestock and other social infrastructure.
Assessment led by the State Commission for Emergencies is on-going in all disaster-affected areas.
Major humanitarian needs include food, water, sanitation and hygiene and non-food items.
Situation Overview
Heavy rains on 9-13 May 2016 have resulted in flash floods and mudflows in at least eight districts countrywide. The floods/mudflows have affected Aini, Panjekent districts of Sughd province, Baljuvon, Farkhor, Jaloliddin Balhi districts of Khatlon province, Rasht, Rudaki and Sangvor districts of the Direct Ruled Districts (DRD), and Davroz district of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).
As of 14 May 2016, the State Commission for Emergency Situations (Commission) has confirmed that the emergencies have killed at least four people in Sughd Province (Aini and Panjekent), while injuring more than ten persons. According to initial estimates as presented by the Commission as of 13 May 2016, the floods/mudflows affected at least 2,550 households. The most severely affected districts are the Direct Ruled District’s Rudaki district (around 2,400 households) and Sughd province’s Panjekent district (around 150 households). Significant damage in the affected households are related to structural damages to houses, full destruction of household auxiliary facilities such as kitchen, sanitation facilities, walls surrounding households, food storages, drinking water facilities and kitchen gardens.
In addition, on 12 May 2016, mudflows damaged several junctions of the Dushanbe-Khorog strategic highway, leaving 230,000 people living in GBAO disconnected from the country’s capital.
According to initial estimates and based on information provided by the local authorities and Commission, at least 17,800 people might have been directly affected by the floods/mudflows. A Commission-led damage and needs assessment is on-going and the confirmed number of affected, including information on sex and age disaggregated data and other vulnerable groups, will be available once the assessment results are finalised.
The floods/mudflows have damaged more than 800 ha of arable land. Since the crop-planting season for major domestic agriculture products, such as vegetables (e.g. potatoes), wheat and corn has been completed, the damage caused to agriculture have left the affected population with seriously reduced livelihood opportunities. The number of livestock killed by of floods/mudflows is yet to be identified. In addition, education has been interrupted in at least three schools in Rudaki district due to damages to school facilities. The total number of schoolchildren with interrupted education is yet to be identified.
A potential aggravating factor might be the forecasted unstable weather conditions countrywide, with expected intense precipitations until 16 May 2016. This may cause additional flooding/mudflow as major river basins in the affected districts are either filled with debris or destroyed dams have not been fully reconstructed yet.
The Committee of Emergency Situations and national and local authorities have immediately mobilized resources on the onset of the emergencies to evacuate people to safer areas. As of 13 May 2016, the number of people displaced is not confirmed. However, initial estimates indicate that at least half of the directly affected 17,800 people are staying overnight in either their neighbors’ houses or relatives’ while returning during daytime to their affected homes to clean debris.
National, local authorities and people living in villages close to affected areas are supporting affected and displaced population with hot food during initial days of response. FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance, Red Crescent Society, and Save the Children have already deployed assistance (diesel fuel and non-food items). REACT has conducted two coordination meetings on 10 and 12 May to agree on a joint needs assessment and humanitarian response coordination. On 12 May 2016, a team of regional REACT partners deployed to Aini and Panjekent districts, while on 13 May 2016 a national REACT Rapid Response Assessment team deployed to Rudaki District to complement the Government-led needs assessment process.