DUSHANBE, February 3, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Dushanbe, 02 February 2010 - The European Commission has decided to provide 42,080 euros to bring relief to the victims of the earthquake of January 2 that hit Vanj district in Gorno Badakhshan, according to the Delegation of the European Commission to Tajikistan.

The most affected victims are estimated at around 640 people and this aid will be used for provision of shelter such as winterized tents, construction tool kits, tarpaulins, bed-linen sets, mattresses, pillows, cooking sets, shovels, hoes, water cans and hygiene kits and psychiatric support for the quake victims, press release issued by the Delegation on February 2 said.

The humanitarian goods will be channeled through the Red Cross who operates with funding out of The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The European Commission has signed a €2 million humanitarian contribution agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to support the Federation''s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF).  Funds from the DREF are mainly allocated to “small-scale” disasters – those that do not give rise to a formal international appeal.

The Disaster Relief Emergency Fund was established in 1985 and is supported by contributions from donors.  Each time a National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society needs immediate financial support to respond to a disaster, it can request funds from the DREF. For small-scale disasters, the IFRC allocates grants from the Fund, which can then be replenished by the donors.  The contribution agreement between the IFRC and the European Commission enables the latter to replenish the DREF for agreed operations (that fit in with its humanitarian mandate) up to a total of €2 million.

On January 2, an earthquake of medium strength jolted Vanj district in Gorno Badakhshan. The most severely hit villages in the district were Uskrogh, Punichuguni, Paishanbeobod and the administrative center of Vanj district.  Over 1000 houses home to 6,145 people have been affected.  Some 100 houses are destroyed to the extent of being unsuitable for living for their 640 inhabitants while 920 houses home to about 5,500 people are partially affected and in need of repair.

The new EU Strategy for Central Asia aims to strengthen ties between the European Union and its Central Asian partners. It has doubled European Union assistance to the region to €750 million for 2007-2013. Tajikistan gets the main share of bilateral assistance (€66 million for 2007-2010) in support to sector programs, technical assistance and grants. It focuses on social protection, health and private sector development, underpinned by public finance management. Projects aimed at enhancing living standards continue. Tajikistan also receives regional and thematic assistance in areas like border management and drug control (BOMCA/CADAP), education (TEMPUS, Erasmus Mundus), water / environment, migration, human rights and democracy (EIDHR), non-State actors (NSA) and SME development (CA-Invest). The total value of EU assistance disbursed to Tajikistan since 1992 is over €500 million.