Kyrgyzstan's bloody ethnic violence sparks new need

Kyrgyzstan is one of the latest countries to receive support from the Emirati donor community, which was quick to respond after ethnic violence erupted in the country earlier this month. The UAE Red Crescent Authority was among the organisations to assist with the resulting humanitarian crisis, ordering aid including blankets, tents, food and medicine to be sent to displaced people on the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border.

Rashid Khalikov, the director of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Geneva, said it was the "obligation" of the international community to assist those displaced by the violence that flared between Kyrgyz and ethnic Uzbeks. While refugees who fled across the border into Uzbekistan are starting to return and internally displaced people are moving back, support is still needed.

"On the surface things are returning to normal, however people are still feeing very unsafe," said Mr Khalikov, who just returned from a trip to the region. "One of the most important things is to help provide shelter for the people." Mr Khalikov, who was in the capital to attend the launch of the UAE Foreign Aid Report, said that more than 1 million people were affected by the conflict and more than 1,300 homes destroyed or severely damaged.

In 2009 Emirati donors gave Dh150,675 in aid to Kyrgyzstan, according to the report. * The National