Bishkek, 6 December 1996 (RFE/RL) - Refugees fleeing Tajikistan, especially the intense fighting in the Garm region, say they are in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
Most of the refugees have fled across the border into Kyrgyzstan. The refugees and local administrators in the border region say most of the families arriving in Kyrgyzstan have insufficient clothing, food and fuel for winter. Local administrators along the border tell Interfax news agency that more than 600 Tajik families have fled into Kyrgyzstan, and hundreds more families are expected before the end of the year.
A Red Cross-Red Crescent regional conference is scheduled in Almaty, Kazakhstan, next week. Among the topics to be discussed is aid for refugees in Central Asia. The Red Cross this week launched a $21 million appeal for Central Asian states, specifically noting the conditions of Afghan refugees in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan and the continuing civil war in Tajikistan.
Most of the refugees have fled across the border into Kyrgyzstan. The refugees and local administrators in the border region say most of the families arriving in Kyrgyzstan have insufficient clothing, food and fuel for winter. Local administrators along the border tell Interfax news agency that more than 600 Tajik families have fled into Kyrgyzstan, and hundreds more families are expected before the end of the year.
A Red Cross-Red Crescent regional conference is scheduled in Almaty, Kazakhstan, next week. Among the topics to be discussed is aid for refugees in Central Asia. The Red Cross this week launched a $21 million appeal for Central Asian states, specifically noting the conditions of Afghan refugees in Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan and the continuing civil war in Tajikistan.