The Kyrgyz Republic introduces Individual Food Kits to strengthen emergency preparedness

Designed to sustain one person for ten days during emergencies, the locally sourced food packages with ready-to-eat commodities represent a meaningful step in advancing the country’s disaster preparedness and response capabilities. The pilot project aims to develop a mechanism for the procurement, prepositioning and distribution of food kits, addressing the unique challenges of delivering aid to remote and isolated regions, and ensuring timely and effective access to essential nutrition to those in need. As part of the pilot, 300 individual food kits were composed, procured and prepositioned. Their distribution will be piloted to assess the composition, packaging and distribution procedures for the food kits.

The development of the food kits adheres to international and national standards and was undertaken in collaboration with MES KR to ensure that the nutritional needs of disaster-affected and vulnerable populations are met. Beyond introducing the food packages, the initiative has also bolstered MES’s operational capabilities. Key improvements include infrastructure upgrades, such as the repair of warehouses in Osh, and comprehensive training for MES staff on food storage and distribution protocols.

These efforts come at a time when the Kyrgyz Republic is facing escalating risks from natural disasters. The country’s mountainous terrain, coupled with the growing impacts of climate change, has made mudslides, seasonal flooding, and other climatic shocks increasingly common. In 2024 alone, MES KR recorded over 330 incidents of floods and mudflows, with more than 3,440 areas identified as at risk. The material damage from these disasters is over three times greater than the previous year, endangering lives and posing a serious threat to the food security and livelihoods of rural communities.

Building on the pilot’s outcomes, plans are underway to preposition up to 7,000 food kits, with national budget support expected to scale up the initiative and ensure its sustainability. The ultimate goal is to integrate individual food kit management into the standard operational procedures of the MES KR, making emergency food aid more accessible, reliable, and efficient, thereby contributing to a more shock-responsive national social and civil protection system that leaves no one behind.