Switzerland supports WFP in helping social inpatient institutions in Kyrgyzstan to cope with COVID-19 hardships

Local news, 23.04.2020

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in the Kyrgyz Republic welcomes a contribution of CHF 200,000 (USD 196,500) from Switzerland that will help fund WFP’s emergency food assistance to 22 social inpatient institutions and boarding schools across the country.  

Humanitarian aid for vulnerable population of Kyrgyzstan © WFP, 2020

WFP will use the funds to meet the immediate food needs and support the livelihoods of 3,100 residents of the country’s current social inpatient institutions and boarding schools for three months in the peak of COVID-19 outbreak. Residents of the social institutions – orphans, elderly and people with disabilities are the most severely affected by the current crisis. Emergency food assistance will be provided through WFP’s long-term partnership framework with Ministry of Labour and Social Development and Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic.

WFP supports the Kyrgyz Government’s efforts to achieve the overall priority of Food Security for all, with specific focus on the vulnerable population. This contribution from the Government of Switzerland is critical to make sure that amidst the severe impact of the crisis no one is left behind, including the most disadvantaged people who lives in closed institutions.

Thanks to the Swiss contribution, WFP will provide each social inpatient institution and boarding school with a 3-month food ration of 75 kg of fortified wheat flour and 8 litres of vitamin-rich oil per person. Such assistance will ensure their access to balanced and nutritious meals, while giving them the possibility of prioritizing some of the available economic resources and use them for addressing other pressing needs such as health, sanitary and hygiene, protection.

As safety, protection, and dignity of the residents in the social institutions are of pivotal importance, WFP will ensure all precautionary measures during food delivery and handling.

“We would like to thank WFP, our long-standing partner for improving the livelihoods of the country’s poorest populations, and the Government of Switzerland for their commitment to support the people of Kyrgyzstan. At this time of crisis, every effort counts to ensure tailored social support to the most vulnerable people,” said Minister of Labour and Social Development, Ulugbek Kochkorov.

WFP, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, is the United Nations (UN) agency leading the critical sectors of food security and logistics. In this role, WFP is also supporting emergency food distributions to the most vulnerable people across the country to cover their immediate food needs during the crisis.

Local news, 17.04.2020

Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the risks to the food and agricultural sectors associated with it, the Swiss funded Bai-Alai Program will allocate more than 3.5 million soms (50 thousand Swiss francs) to support farmers in Osh oblast of Kyrgyzstan.

Humanitarian aid on the way to destination © Swiss funded Bai-Alai Program, 2020

The Bai-Alai Program is funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and implemented by Helvetas Kyrgyzstan in cooperation with Aga-Khan Foundation. 

Realizing the need to take urgent measures to maintain the functioning of the food supply chains to mitigate major shocks that can especially affect the poor and the most vulnerable segments of the population, it was decided to allocate 45 tons of barley seeds, 20 tons of sainfoin seeds and 33 tons of nitrogen fertilizer as an aid to 320 households in Alai and Chon-Alai districts. These funds will help to grow fodder crops on 224 hectares of land. 

In addition, the Bai-Alai program will provide farmers in these areas with 300 seed doses of highly productive cattle breeds (Aberdeen Angus, Simmental and Schwitz) and 100 liters of liquid nitrogen for 300 farmers. These artificial insemination tools will be given to local insemination technicians so that they can help the local population. 

The Bai-Alai program facilitates the growth of local and regional markets to improve living conditions of the people in Alai and Chon Alai districts.