Strengthening livelihoods and building peace in southern Kyrgyzstan
Project description
Title: Strengthening livelihoods and building peace in southern Kyrgyzstan
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Economy and Antimonopoly Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic
Overall term: 2011 to 2014
Context
The fall of the Kyrgyz Government in June 2010 was followed by violent clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbek people in the south of the country, mainly in the towns of Osh and Jalalabad. More than 470 people were killed and 400,000 fled. The riots caused markets, trade and agricultural production to collapse.
The humanitarian crisis was declared over in June, 2011. Since then, the international response has moved from emergency humanitarian assistance to a transitional phase focusing on reconstruction. There nevertheless remains a considerable need for emergency and transitional aid. More than half a million people in the three southern provinces are still considered to be threatened by food insecurity.
The regions affected by violence are now thought to have stabilised. However, localised conflicts and inter-ethnic clashes still occur. The social tensions between the ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, which were worsened by the violence of June 2010, are hampering the recovery process and economic development.
Objective
Living conditions have improved for the rural population in selected regions of the three southern provinces of Kyrgyzstan.
Approach
Following a crisis or violent conflict, development-oriented emergency and transitional aid (DETA) projects help to overcome situations of food insecurity, restore livelihoods, and kick-start recovery through economic and infrastructure measures. They are accompanied by conflict resolution activities wherever social tensions threaten to derail the rebuilding process. These are the tasks being performed by the GIZ's DETA project in southern Kyrgyzstan.
The main focus of its activities is the rehabilitation of agricultural production. It supplies farmers with seed as well as advice on the rehabilitation of irrigation systems. In this context, conflicts over the water available for irrigation are being addressed. The project is also contributing to local economic development through a number of fast-working income generation measures. At the same time, it is using leisure and sporting activities to bring to bring people – especially the youth – together across ethnic divisions, and to encourage cooperation between them.
Results achieved so far
In its first phase, the project concentrated on supporting food security. During the winter of 2011/12, it distributed good quality seed (630 tonnes of wheat, barley and seed potatoes) to vulnerable farming households in 137 villages close to the Uzbek border in the three southern provinces. This helped to improve short and medium term food security for more than 2,000 families. More families will benefit form this approach, following the creation of a seed rotation fund. Agricultural productivity has improved thanks special advisory services provided to the farmers following seed delivery.
The extreme winter of 2011/12 caused a shortage of feed for livestock, and an estimated 20,000 animals perished as a result. The project assisted the government with its emergency response, by transporting feedstuffs to the southern provinces. This helped to preserve the livelihoods of hundreds of families in the south.