We are excited to invite the young minds of Kyrgyzstan to participate in the Regional Youth Network for Central Asia anonymous survey on drugs. This survey aims to evaluate the attitudes of youth in Central Asia towards drug use, trends in drug use, the accessibility of substances, and associated risk factors.
Who can participate: Youth aged 14-30 yearsLanguage of the survey: Russian 
Deadline: 28 February 2025
Use the QR code on the card to access the survey!

Your voice matters! Join us in shaping a better future. Let's make a difference together!  , filtered_html

In 2023, the World Food Programme (WFP) launched a Climate Risk Insurance (CRI) project to assist vulnerable households, such as those of Aijan Talasbek Kyzy, impacted by climate change. CRI is a weather index-based insurance policy that covers lack of feedstock due to droughts and harsh winters.Aijan lives with her husband and four children in the mountainous Naryn province of the Kyrgyz Republic. The family lives in a village at 2 600 m a.s.l. – but higher altitudes offer little protection from temperature rises and erratic weather extremes. In particular, droughts interrupt farming and food production and have a particularly serious effect on livestock. “There was a lot of rain in spring and no rain during the summer, there was a drought,” says Aijan. “From our fields we usually harvest 800 kg of barley, but this year we harvested only 500 kg. At the end of August, it started raining a lot. By the end of September, it was snowing. We had many losses. Our cattle died.”***Please find the video on Climate Risk Insurance and the impact story published in the Mountain Partnership publication: "Promoting innovation and tradition - Solutions for climate change adaptation in mountains."***When weather patterns defy expectations, harvests fail. As people struggle to grow crops, there is less hay to stockpile for sustenance during winter, posing a threat to the health of animals. Working with the Government to assist smallholder farmers, in 2023 WFP piloted the country’s first climate-risk insurance scheme, with support from Switzerland. Disasters caused by climate change – such as droughts, mudflows and floods – are becoming one of the main drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition in the Kyrgyz Republic. Indeed, such climate-induced disasters have increased by 150 percent since 2010 (Asian Development Bank and World Bank, 2021).This project aims to enhance the resilience of rural communities to extreme weather-related risks by providing financial protection against climate-related shocks through insurance. “WFP provided trainings on climate-risk insurance for livestock,” says Jipariza Omurkanova, a social affairs specialist at the local government. “And through the insurance, fodder was provided. Fodder is expensive now. As you see, the climate is changing, people can no longer store as much fodder as before.”The climate risk insurance pilot is an important step forward in building climate resilience in the Kyrgyz Republic. Its success lies not only in its immediate positive impact on vulnerable families, but also in fostering a more resilient and sustainable future for farmers and food systems in the country.In 2023, an insurance payout was triggered due to summer drought in the Ak-Talaa district of Naryn province where Aijan lives, benefiting 792 families below the poverty line with 26.3 metric tonnes of barley as feed for their livestock. The barley was chiefly used to help the animals of the most vulnerable groups in the district to stay alive during the long winter period.WFP, alongside international partners, is committed to further reducing vulnerability to shocks and strengthening the adaptive capacities of rural communities through innovative solutions, such as insurance. ***Please find the video on Climate Risk Insurance and the impact story published in the Mountain Partnership publication: "Promoting innovation and tradition - Solutions for climate change adaptation in mountains." , filtered_html

At any age and any stage of life, the death of a parent is distressing. Samir was just 16 years old when his mother passed away, leaving him to fend for himself, his younger brother, and their little sister. Their father too had passed away years earlier. As Samir was still a minor, the authorities soon took their sister into State care. It was only when he turned 18 and tried to gain custody of her, that Samir understood he had no valid identity documents to prove who he was or where he was from. To the Kyrgyz Republic, he was invisible.Born but still invisibleSamir was born and grew up in the Kyrgyz Republic. Both of his parents were citizens of the country, so he too was considered a citizen and was issued a birth certificate. He went to primary school and high school, played football, and went out with his friends like any other teenager. But everything soon changed.“When my mom died, it became much harder for us to live, because the only income in the family was my mom’s job,” says Samir. “My little brother and I were finishing school, and then I had to go to work.”

Samir went to the Public Service Centre to get a national ID so that he could work legally and – he hoped – get custody of his sister. As he could not get parental consent, he was told to come back when he was 18. At 18 he returned to the Public Service Centre, submitting required documents, including his birth certificate.During the verification process however, it was discovered that there was no civil record of his birth in either the database or the archives. Samir’s birth certificate was considered invalid. Samir was not considered as a national of the Kyrgyz Republic or any country.No access to basic rightsA stateless person is someone who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law. As of October 2024, there were over 34,000 known stateless people in Central Asia. Most are ex-citizens of the former Soviet Union, or their descendants, who have not yet acquired or confirmed citizenship of the independent States. Others are born stateless or became stateless due to gaps in nationality laws, administrative barriers, and mixed marriages.With no proof of having a nationality or any legal status, stateless people have difficulty accessing basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment, and freedom of movement.“Because I didn’t have documents, I couldn’t go to hospitals, or clinics, or start learning a profession and work”.“Because I didn’t have documents, I couldn’t go to hospitals, or clinics, or start learning a profession and work,” says Samir.“All my friends had already started to get a passport, at that moment they started to study, and I couldn’t. I have a best friend and we are the same age. We wanted, after we finished school, to study together, to study at the same university, but I was not accepted, because I did not have citizenship documents.”Samir spent years trying to confirm his citizenship, writing and applying to different institutions for help. Unable to resolve the problem on his own, Samir was eventually referred to UNHCR’s partner Legal Clinic Adilet.No longer invisibleFollowing a countrywide campaign to identify and map statelessness, in 2019, the Kyrgyz Republic became the first country in the world to resolve all its known cases of statelessness. Efforts to prevent statelessness have continued, with the Kyrgyz Republic since enabling universal birth registration, aligning the definition of a stateless person in the Citizenship Law with international standards, and introducing safeguards against statelessness in citizenship renunciation.Legal Clinic Adilet advised and supported Samir with the legal process.“I was collecting documents for my little sister’s guardianship, and at the same time I was dealing with my brother’s documents, he didn’t have a passport either. In fact, it was a very difficult period.” 

It was again confirmed that there was no record of Samir’s birth in the archives of any Public Service Centre and that, as per national legislation, he would need to resolve the issue through the court.

Supported by Adilet, Samir filed a lawsuit to establish the fact of his birth. The court ruled in his favour, issuing him a new – and valid – birth certificate that includes the names of his parents. Soon after, Samir received his Kyrgyz Republic passport, officially confirming his citizenship.1in3: Resolving statelessness“My life changed for the better after getting citizenship,” says Samir. “When I received my passport, I was very happy, I immediately imagined all the possibilities that would open up before me, that I would be able to do things that everyone used to do and I couldn’t.”“Now I can go to work officially, I can go to school, I can go to hospitals, I can get a driver’s license.”Because Samir does not have a steady income, he has not been able to gain custody of his little sister. The parents of a close family friend has instead stepped in, keeping the siblings together.“My future plans are that I want to go to school now. Because I am already 21 years old, but it is never too late to study. I want to learn a profession, maybe go abroad, work there, travel, learn something new.”Millions of people around the world are denied a nationality, without which they cannot fully access their human rights and participate in society. As only States can grant or confirm nationality, the cooperation of governments in preventing and reducing statelessness is crucial.Launched in 2014, the 10-year global #IBelong campaign – generously supported by UNHCR’s biggest donor, the U.S. government and the American People, and partners around the world – aimed to end statelessness by 2024. Over the last decade, Central Asian States, supported by UNHCR, have made great process, documenting the citizenship of more than 210,000 people. One in every three cases of statelessness resolved worldwide is in Central Asia. Building on the concrete gains and momentum of the #IBelong campaign, efforts and commitments to address statelessness will continue under the new Global Alliance to End Statelessness.UNHCR continues to support and advocate for the Kyrgyz Republic to adopt Statelessness Determination Procedures, and accede to the two UN statelessness conventions., filtered_html

the head of the logistics center which is supplying 56 schools and 40 kindergartens in the Kadamjai district with local vegetables. The logistics centre links schools with local producers in private-public partnership, providing local smallholder farmers with better access to markets through an improved logistics chain and contributing to the sustainable implementation of the National School Meals Programme (NSMP) in the Kyrgyz Republic.The Kyrgyz Republic is a mountainous country in Central Asia that relies on food imports and is greatly affected by climate change, which impacts its agriculture. The lack of logistical and storage infrastructure has often forced local farmers to either lose a significant proportion of their harvest or sell their produce at lower prices. This dependence on imports also drives food prices higher, particularly in winter, impacting the poorest in remote regions like the Kadamjai district.By converting schools into markets for local farmers, the project aimed to bridge the gap between producers and consumers, thereby addressing the issues of accessibility.“Previously, farmers struggled to sell their products due to lack of access to stable markets and difficulties in reaching consumers directly. Now, with schools serving as a reliable and consistent sales market, farmers have a reliable outlet to sell their produce. This not only provides them with a steady income but also promotes sustainable farming practices and supports the local economy. At the same time, it ensures that schools receive fresh, high-quality, and locally sourced ingredients to prepare nutritious meals for children,” remarks  Ysmanaly. The logistics center consists of three facilities: vegetable storehouse with an insulated van to deliver produce, processing facility and mobile laboratory to test the quality of products for schools. With the capacity to store up to 220 tons of food for 10 months, a consistent supply of fresh ingredients is assured. Such logistics centre’s have made the work of school cooks, such as Kurbanova Maria, easier. Three years ago, Sadykov School in the Kadamjai district introduced hot and diverse meals. The school cook reports that the menu has been enhanced with higher-quality ingredients. Thanks to fresh produce supplied by the logistics center, the school now serves hot meals five times a week. The school menu includes delicious soups, fresh salads, main courses, fruit compote drink, and freshly baked buns. This diverse and nutritious menu is made possible not only by the availability of fresh food but also by the valuable knowledge gained from training provided by WFP.
 "Before the training, we were unfamiliar with cooking balanced meals," says Maria. "Thanks to WFP’s training, we now use fresh ingredients to prepare healthy and nutritious meals, which has improved the food we serve." The head of the Kadamjai District Education Department shares the same view as the school cook, noting that the logistics center serves the majority of schools and kindergartens in the district. He adds that the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic has issued an order to support local producers. In response, the Department of Education signed an agreement with the logistics center to supply schools and kindergartens with potatoes, carrots, and onions. Moreover, in some remote and mountainous areas of Kadamjai district, vegetables can be more expensive; however, the logistics center offers food at lower prices all year round. As a result, school children are ensured access to safe, fresh, locally produced, and high-quality food.For the Kyrgyz Republic, a country heavily reliant on food imports to meet domestic needs, ensuring food accessibility is a pressing challenge. This highlights the urgent need to strengthen food systems. Despite the rich agricultural history, the country faces persistent obstacles in delivering fresh and nutritious food to all segments of the population at an affordable price. To overcome these challenges, the Government is exploring new approaches and integrating modern technologies into its food systems.The recent Food Systems Dialogue, supported through the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and financed by the Government of Denmark, has brought together key stakeholders from both the public and private sector. This inclusive platform facilitated discussions on challenges and priorities, emphasizing the transformation of food systems as a national agenda. The dialogue aimed to refine and implement the strategic vision outlined in the National Food Security and Nutrition Programme, paving the way for a sustainable and resilient food system by 2030. “Food security is not just a matter of food quality, it is the foundation of a nation's health, its economic stability and a sustainable future. In the face of a changing climate, economic and political challenges, Kyrgyz Republic’s agriculture and food systems face significant hurdles. I am confident that today's discussion will inspire new ideas, allow us to share experiences and lead to concrete steps to improve food systems in the Kyrgyz Republic. It is vital that our solutions not only ensure food security, but also take into account long-term sustainable development goals”, said Samat Nasirdinov, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry, and National Convenor of the Kyrgyz Republic.The dialogue highlighted the critical need to tackle challenges across the entire supply chain—from production and processing to transportation, storage, and sales. Stakeholders, which included business owners such as Ysmanaly Parpiev, who work directly with smallholder farmers, discussed the shared responsibilities of the Government and the private sector in creating sustainable food systems.Initiatives stemming from the dialogue demonstrate the potential of public-private partnerships to drive meaningful change. By ensuring that local communities have access to safe, high-quality food, these efforts promote sustainable growth and resilience in the food sector. , filtered_html