ACTED has responded over the past year to the consequences of the June 2010 conflict, with a range of interventions, from an emergency humanitarian response to sustainable development initiatives.

OSH [ACTED News] -- 10 June 2011 marks the one year anniversary of a conflict that affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in southern Kyrgyzstan. ACTED’s interventions in the region have rapidly adapted to the changing situation. In the immediate aftermath of the emergency, ACTED conducted short-term assistance projects such as the provision of food and cash for work activities. Mid-term activities included transitional shelter construction and grant disbursements for economic recovery. Currently, ACTED is moving towards development projects, with the aim of ensuring an element of sustainability of income-generation for those, like Taalaibek, who have been affected by the conflict.

Taalaibek, 44, a father of four, lost the lucrative business he had built over fourteen years during the conflict that erupted in the cities and surrounding areas of Osh and Jalalabad in southern Kyrgyzstan on 10 June 2010. In addition to losing all his merchandise in June, Taalaibek became strongly indebted.

During the June 2010 violence, 437 businesses were completely destroyed. For Taalaibek, the loss of his business cut off his main source of income and limited his capacity to put food on the table for his family. ACTED responded to immediate humanitarian needs by providing food assistance to him and his family, as well as to over 209,000 individuals who had been severely affected by the outbreak of violence. Taalaibek was particularly grateful for the food assistance during the winter, when he and his family suffered harsh weather with few resources and no income.

ACTED also contributed to the restoration of his livelihoods by granting him access to credit despite a difficult and volatile environment. Taalaibek was not able to restore his original business due to the political situation, but he re-focused his energy into furniture-making and he has seen his business blossom, with increasing orders every day.

Although Taalaibek has had to relocate and restructure his business and start from scratch, he is now able to stand on his own feet. With help from ACTED’s interventions, he is in a position to consistently clear his debt as each day goes by. He appears full of hope about the future prospects for his business and is proud to be in a position to provide for his family.