VAKHSH, Tajikistan -- The U.S. ambassador to Tajikistan has announced that $5 million in emergency aid will be distributed to 11,000 needy Tajiks through the U. S. Agency for International Development's (USAID) Food for Peace program.
Ambassador Tracey Ann Jacobson said that though the aid package is $2 million less than last year, the United States has allotted $29 million for democracy promotion, health care, and humanitarian aid in the region.
Talbak Safolov, 78, complained to RFE/RL's Tajik Service that he is not on the aid list and that local authorities were putting their relatives on it.
USAID distributors told RFE/RL they will follow up to ensure the funds are used correctly.
Karimova, a mother of five, told RFE/RL that her husband is ill and this help is vital for her family.