USAID Provides Assistance to the People of the Kyrgyz Republic

WASHINGTON, June 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United States supports international efforts to facilitate peace and order in the Kyrgyz Republic and the affected border regions of Uzbekistan and supports the provision of humanitarian assistance coordinated by the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.  As a key part of these efforts, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $24.6 million to assist the people of the Kyrgyz Republic during this humanitarian crisis.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20091022/USAIDLOGO)

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091022/USAIDLOGO)

Through the newly created Complex Crises Fund (CCF), $15.1 million will be provided by USAID for immediate assistance in the southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic and rapid community improvement and stabilization projects throughout the country. The CCF is a new mechanism that enables the Administrator of USAID, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to respond to emerging or unforeseen complex crises overseas.

 $3.65 million has been authorized for immediate expenditure by USAID for humanitarian assistance to the southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic for the purchase and delivery of medicines, medical supplies, shelter and hygiene items.  And $5.85 million has been authorized for immediate expenditure by USAID 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, creation of employment opportunities and the provision of training programs for disenfranchised populations.

In addition to monetary assistance, USAID disaster experts are in Bishkek to liaise with U.N. agencies, NGOs and USG representatives and also to help identify emergency humanitarian needs and help coordinate relief efforts in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek and the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

The United States overall has committed $32.267 million to programs to the Kyrgyz Republic for humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and community stabilization, and expects additional efforts to be announced in the near future. The $32.267 million will be directed to meeting immediate humanitarian needs, providing assistance to displaced and returning families, and also to address the roots of the conflict through community development and conflict mitigation programs in the Southern part of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Public Information: 202-712-4810

SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development