Press Release

Switzerland allocates over USD 9 million to support most vulnerable rural communities in climate change and disaster risks resilience

24 January 2023

Bishkek – The Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic His Excellency Olivier Bangerter and the Representative and Country Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Mr. Kojiro Nakai have signed an agreement on the contribution from the Government of Switzerland to the WFP’s Country Strategic Plan for 2023-2027 (CSP). The First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Mr. Azamat Mambetov took part in the signing assuring the commitment to support and proactively participate in the implementation.

The Government of Switzerland will allocate over USD 9 million for the WFP CSP pillar aimed at building the resilience of the most vulnerable rural communities against climate change and disaster risks. This component is being implemented by WFP in partnership with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The activities will cover Osh, Batken, Jalalabad and Naryn provinces and support around 250,000 most vulnerable households, as well as targeted local authorities and institutions on the national level to build a systemic approach in managing hazards, such as droughts, mudslides, floods, etc. Reliable and timely climate information, disaster-resilient planning and selected infrastructure support will be provided to the beneficiaries.

Disaster risk management activities will also be strengthened to prepare for climate related hazards and reduce their impact on food and nutrition security. The vulnerable communities will be provided with food security and livestock insurance tools and will be trained on build-back-better mechanisms.

The contribution implementation is foreseen for the next five years.

For more information about the project and WFP, please contact: Almaz Tchoroev, Communications Officer,

tel: +996 550 577 597, email: almaz.tchoroev@wfp.org

For more information on Swiss Development Cooperation, please contact: Tursunai Chodurova, Communications Officer, Swiss Embassy/Bishkek, tel: +996 770 710054, email: tursunai.chodurova@eda.admin.ch

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The Government of Switzerland provides assistance for the development of the Kyrgyz Republic. Since 1994, Switzerland has granted around CHF 500 million to Kyrgyzstan in the form of technical, financial and humanitarian support. For more information, please visit https://www.eda.admin.ch/bishkek.

www.instagram.com/swissembkyrgyz

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability, and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change.

Almaz Tchoroev

WFP

Communications and Donor Relations Officer

almaz.tchoroev@wfp.org +996 312 660033 ext. 2600

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