Highlights
- Continuous heavy rains resulted in additional floods/mudflow countrywide. As of 18 May, floods/mudflow killed at least five persons (Aini, Panjekent and Rasht districts).
- Government and humanitarian partners commence relief operations in affected areas.
- On 17 May, REACT presented results of needs assessment conducted on 13 May to Development Coordination Council in a bid to improve partnership and seek support.
- Government assessment results indicate at least 17 houses fully destroyed in Aini and Panjekent districts. Number of houses damaged/destroyed in other districts, including Rudaki is yet to be confirmed.
- Tajik Hydromeorological services forecast intense rains until 19 May, alerting on risks of additional flooding.
Situation Overview
Continuous rains throughout the country for the period of 16 - 18 May have resulted in increase of level of water in several river basins, triggering additional floods. Since 9 May, floods/mudflows have affected Aini, Asht, Guliston, Panjekent and Zafarobod, districts (Sughd Province), Baljuvon, Farkhor and Jaloliddin Balhi districts (Khatlon province), Nurobod, Rasht, Rogun, Rudaki, Sangvor and Tojikobod districts (Direct Ruled Districts) and Darvoz and Vanj districts (Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast). On 16 May, in addition to four persons killed in Aini and Panjekent districts, mudflow has killed a resident of Qalai Surkh Jamoat of Rasht district, tallying the number of casualties to six persons. While Panjekent and Rudaki remain to be the most affected districts, where there is a significant humanitarian need in many sectors, other districts where the floods/mudflow have occurred resulted in damages to some households, roads, bridges, local agriculture and livelihoods.
Government-led damage and needs assessment results started to unfold. As of 18 May, total number of residential houses with structural damages caused by floods/mudflow in Aini and Panjekent district stands at 7 houses, out of which 2 are destroyed (Aini), and 21 houses, out of which 15 are destroyed (Panjekent). In addition, at least 132 heads of livestock (cows, sheep, horses) killed in these two districts.
Such figures for Rudaki District – one of the most affected by the 12 May floods/mudflow - are yet to be provided. The Government figures on number of houses fully or partially damaged may reduce significantly in comparison to estimated number of houses affected and people in need of assistance as identified by REACT. This discrepancy is mainly due to the two separate mechanisms of damage and needs assessment conducted by Government and REACT. While Government-led assessment mainly focuses on actual damages caused to residential infrastructure, REACT assessment processes complement this by looking at actual humanitarian needs caused by the disaster (damage to livestock, food, water supply systems, latrines, non-food items, etc.).
State Hydrometeorological Services issued a statement with forecasted unstable weather to remain countrywide until 19 May. This poses additional threat of flooding in “Zebon” draining canal of Panjekent district and “Elok” river of Rudaki district, as mitigation works to clean the canal and restore the destroyed embankment are not completed due to interruption of civil works as a result of lack of diesel fuel.
On 17 May, OCHA, on behalf of the United Nations as Co-Chair of REACT delivered a presentation on the damage caused by the disaster and consequent humanitarian needs to the Development Coordination Council (DCC) – a coordination mechanism for development and donor community to streamline aid effectiveness to the Government of Tajikistan. Bi-lateral level cooperation will continue between the DCC and REACT members to ensure timely and effective delivery of relief assistance. In addition, CoES in Sughd province convened a regional meeting for REACT partners to coordinate joint response efforts to emergencies occurred in the province.
Both Government and REACT partners started to scale-up the delivery of assistance. Local authorities of affected districts are continuing to provide food and non-food items to affected population. However, there is a lack of predictable and systematic Government response-plan, which could help identify potential gaps for REACT partners to address. The REACT Secretariat will be working with the Committee of Emergency Situations to draft such plan in the coming days.
In addition, sex and age disaggregated data are still missing. The REACT Secretariat will work with affected jamoats, representatives of the State Commission for Emergencies and Committee of Emergency Situations to obtain such data to identify specific needs of vulnerable groups.