The rehabilitation of two summer camps in the villages of Barrushan and Anjin in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) serving as a potential quarantine or treatment center, were successfully completed by the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH).

Thanks to the funding from the Government of Switzerland, these summer camps were reconstructed in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense (CoESCD), Regional Government of GBAO, and the Aga Khan Health Service (AKHS) in the framework of the Emergency Response to COVID-19 in GBAO, according to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Serving as an additional treatment facility for COVID-19 patients, “these rehabilitated summer camps are now fully equipped to cater for 50 to 70 coronavirus patients at a time”, says Laylo Shogunbekova, AKAH project manager.

This intervention reportedly enhances the resources of the government to deliver critical medical and economic response and humanitarian assistance in Roshtqala and Rushan districts, and in Khorog City, and is expected to impact over 88,000 persons in total. 

To enhance joint and coordinated response efforts, AKAH, the Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan (AKF), and the GBAO Regional Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a mutual usage of these summer camps.

In the framework of this project, AKAH also procured and positioned food stocks in Khorog to support the food market stabilization.  A total of 1,000 vulnerable households in GBAO received food baskets to help them maintain their basic nutrition during these critical times.

The rehabilitation of the summer camps and the food assistance forms part of the ongoing assistance being provided by AKAH and the other agencies within AKDN with the support of donors, including the Government of Switzerland (through SDC) to the Government of Tajikistan in managing the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is the technical authority of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation. SDC is responsible for the overall coordination of activities in developing countries.  Within its Cooperation Strategy for 2017-2021 for Central Asia, Switzerland focuses on four sectors in Tajikistan, such as a) Water, Infrastructure and Climate Change; b) Health; c) Governance, Institutions and Decentralization; d) Employment and Economic Development. The overall goal of the Swiss Cooperation in Tajikistan is peace and social cohesion as well as responsive and inclusive institutions and sustainable development to improve the population’s well-being.

The Aga Khan Agency for Habitat focuses on preparing for both sudden and slow-onset disasters.  AKAH works to ensure that poor people live in physical settings that are as safe as possible from the effects of natural disasters; that residents who do live in high-risk areas are able to cope with disasters in terms of preparedness and response; and that these settings provide access to social and financial services that lead to greater opportunity and a better quality of life. Initially, priority areas of AKAH will include Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and India.