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, 25.08.2020

34 targeted rural municipalities of the Issyk-Kul and Jalal-Abad regions received a grant aid in the total amount of 5 809 400 KGS, which will be allocated to 26 selected local service providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Kyrgyzstan.

Swiss aid delivered © Public Service Improvement Project, 2020

 

The support was provided in the framework of the Public Service Improvement Project, which is financed by the Swiss Government and implemented by Helvetas Kyrgyzstan and the Development Policy Institute.

The grant aid covers the following three components:

  1. 4 100 000 KGS – financial support  for 26 local service providers;
  2. 439400 KGS – support to purchase personal protective equipment for the municipalities and service providers 
  3. 1 270 000 KGS – support to  municipalities in conducting the information campaigns

The financial aid for the service providers is allocated as subsidies through the local budgets. These subsidies will partially compensate the lack of providers’ regular income in the II-III quarters of 2020 due to difficult economic situation caused by the COVID crisis. The financial support will be used to cover the urgent expenses incurred by the local service providers (waste collection, drinking water) in the mentioned period.

To prevent the further spread of the virus and to protect the employees and local service providers in the municipalities, the project purchased 260 sets of PPE, including reusable protective suits, glasses, face shields and three layer medical masks.

The project also allocates funds for campaigns. It raises awareness on the importance of preventive hygiene measures and the important role of the local service providers in the prevention of the epidemic spreadingIt also appeals to citizens’ sense of  social responsibility related to the due bill payments for the delivered services in order to keep the providers and services sustinable and continue to receive them.

The Swiss grant program helps the targeted municipalities in the two regions to support local service providers and prevent their bankruptcy along with service suspension at the local level.