Within the project IHHI phase II, the project is constructing four emergency shelters in the areas prone to natural hazards. According to the results of the conducted Integrated Habitat Assessment, villages identified as most prone to natural hazards and indicated by CoESCD as the most natural-hazards-prone (and very remote) are chosen for construction. The emergency shelter, capacitating over 50 people with its multifunctional capacity and fundamental amenities and infrastructure, will enable to address the situation of temporarily displaced people through the provision of interim space where affected people can have decent lodging and obtain other necessary care, including medical, social, and psychological, following any disasters. Moreover, the facility meets the required standards of emergency humanitarian shelter, as the design and equipment of this facility allow to equally accommodating the differentiated needs of people with disabilities in most stressful situations.
Considering Kaltaho's remoteness, AKAH, in cooperation with CoESCD, identified the Kaltaho village as the most prone to natural hazards in the Roghun district and decided to locate the planned shelter in this village. The shelter benefitting the 1959 people of Kaltaho village will serve as a Training Center (TC) for the Children, and local CoESCD and AKAH Community Emergency Response Teams’ training conducted annually; however, during emergencies, it will be used as a shelter and remain on the CoESCD balance.
The AKAH CEO, Mr Hadi Husani and the Chairman of CoESCD, Mr Rustam Nazarzoda signed the handover document and agreed upon the modalities for operation and joint emergency response and management plan in the country.
"AKAH has secured the commitments and support from the relevant government partners to implement this project. For example, the local government of the Roghun district has issued an order and formally allocated a land plot where the emergency shelter is built. In contrast, the CoESCD agreed to accept the facility into its balance of assets and ensured its proper operation and maintenance after the handover," - highlighted Mr Hadi Husani.
These activities form part of the larger AKAH and Aga Khan Development (AKDN) resiliency and response strategy, which are mainstreamed to support the government in its emergency response and management efforts in the country and manage the impact of disasters, befall the region.
Switzerland through its development cooperation and in close partnership with local authorities and civil society, support building resilient communities and infrastructure in Rasht valley in the frame of the IHHI project following an integrated approach. “I am very happy to see that people are indeed adopting healthier, more environmentally sustainable, and disaster-safer behaviors. This is a good progress, but we still need to go further and Switzerland is your partner in this endeavor,” - stated Ms. Salome Steib, the Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Tajikistan during her recent field trip to Rasht valley.
Mr Yusufjon Rafiev, the IHHI Project Coordinator, noted that "Construction of a shelter is one of its kind in the region, and upon completion, it has a dual purpose, as it will be serving as a training Centre during non-emergencies, benefiting local communities and providing shelter to the most vulnerable during emergencies. In addition, there are trained CERT volunteers and CODAN station in the same village and a stockpile of non-food items supported within the IHHI 2 project. The latter is complemented with the remaining Emergency response readiness activities would make the village ready for any natural hazards."
