Kyrgyzstan Updates

• As a result of ethnic violence in June, 400,000 refugees fled Kyrgyzstan; a quarter crossed the border into Uzbekistan.
• Although most of the refugees have returned to their neighborhoods, many remain without adequate shelter or resources.
• Over 2,500 buildings, including 1,900 private houses, and about 15 percent of all buildings in Osh, the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, were destroyed.
• More than 22,0000 have lost their official documents to claim pension support due to the recent violence. As a result, their families are struggling to obtain basic necessities.
• The Kyrgyzstan government is focused on reconstructing permanent housing for the displaced before winter and has requested up to $500M in aid.
• International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response team is on the ground and has provided food and clothing and surveyed hundreds of the displaced to assess psychosocial issues which remain the most critical health need for affected populations.
• Due to the lack of security for returnees living in temporary shelters near their destroyed homes and the prevalence of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV) during this period of conflict, there is a great need for protection and SGBV response.  International Medical Corps is providing psychosocial support to survivors and training locals to offer outreach within local communities.