Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1635
2009-12-18 14:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: PROJECTS TO HELP REFUGEES STILL NEEDED
how-toVZCZCXRO0366 RR RUEHIK DE RUEHAH #1635 3521416 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 181416Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3938 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6029 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3723 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3582 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4271 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1336 RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4210 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001635
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV SOCI UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: PROJECTS TO HELP REFUGEES STILL NEEDED
REFS: A) ASHGABAT 1607; B) ASHGABAT 1623
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 001635
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV SOCI UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: PROJECTS TO HELP REFUGEES STILL NEEDED
REFS: A) ASHGABAT 1607; B) ASHGABAT 1623
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Public Internet.
2. (U) On December 16 the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
jointly with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA),briefed a donors
meeting about achievements from the project "Improvement of the
Quality of Reproductive HEALTH and Social Services for Refugees and
Host Communities." This was a three-year project funded by the
Japanese government-supported UN Trust Fund for Human Security
(UNTFHS). UNICEF, the Government of Turkmenistan, the National
Women's and Youth Organizations, and local NGO Keik Okara were
partners in the project. (NOTE: The Japanese Government established
UNTFHS in March 1999 and since then has contributed approximately
$279.7 million to it. The Trust has supported more than 160 UN
agency projects on human security. END NOTE.)
3. (U) According to the UNHCR's Country Representative Brita
Helleland and Associate Program Officer Marat Atamuradov, this most
recent project worked to enhance the quality of reproductive
healthcare and better access to social services for new citizens,
refugees and their host communities. The project partners
implemented up-to-date reproductive HEALTH protocols, installed
water pumps, upgraded existing water systems, rebuilt roads, and
refurbished and constructed medical aid posts. They also ran
vocational training workshops and conducted reproductive HEALTH
training. More than 40,000 Afghan refugees and Tajik former
refugees, who are now naturalized citizens of Turkmenistan, in 25
remote settlements in Mary, Lebap and Ahal provinces, benefited from
the $1.2 million project.
4. (U) ONE of UNHCR's long-term goals is to integrate the refugees
into their local communities. According to Atamuradov, the
proportion of the refugees to local residents in these host
communities is 50:50. Most of the refugees are ethnic Turkmen who
fled from Tajikistan and Afghanistan in early nineties. Atamuradov
said that commonalities in language and culture made the integration
smooth.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: Although the Government of Turkmenistan does not
often publicly talk about refugees, there are still refugees in the
country who need assistance (refs A and B). The refugees and host
communities welcomed the assistance provided under this UNHCR/UNFPA
project and are looking forward to new projects, especially those
that would help them generate income. END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV SOCI UN TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: PROJECTS TO HELP REFUGEES STILL NEEDED
REFS: A) ASHGABAT 1607; B) ASHGABAT 1623
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Public Internet.
2. (U) On December 16 the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
jointly with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA),briefed a donors
meeting about achievements from the project "Improvement of the
Quality of Reproductive HEALTH and Social Services for Refugees and
Host Communities." This was a three-year project funded by the
Japanese government-supported UN Trust Fund for Human Security
(UNTFHS). UNICEF, the Government of Turkmenistan, the National
Women's and Youth Organizations, and local NGO Keik Okara were
partners in the project. (NOTE: The Japanese Government established
UNTFHS in March 1999 and since then has contributed approximately
$279.7 million to it. The Trust has supported more than 160 UN
agency projects on human security. END NOTE.)
3. (U) According to the UNHCR's Country Representative Brita
Helleland and Associate Program Officer Marat Atamuradov, this most
recent project worked to enhance the quality of reproductive
healthcare and better access to social services for new citizens,
refugees and their host communities. The project partners
implemented up-to-date reproductive HEALTH protocols, installed
water pumps, upgraded existing water systems, rebuilt roads, and
refurbished and constructed medical aid posts. They also ran
vocational training workshops and conducted reproductive HEALTH
training. More than 40,000 Afghan refugees and Tajik former
refugees, who are now naturalized citizens of Turkmenistan, in 25
remote settlements in Mary, Lebap and Ahal provinces, benefited from
the $1.2 million project.
4. (U) ONE of UNHCR's long-term goals is to integrate the refugees
into their local communities. According to Atamuradov, the
proportion of the refugees to local residents in these host
communities is 50:50. Most of the refugees are ethnic Turkmen who
fled from Tajikistan and Afghanistan in early nineties. Atamuradov
said that commonalities in language and culture made the integration
smooth.
5. (SBU) COMMENT: Although the Government of Turkmenistan does not
often publicly talk about refugees, there are still refugees in the
country who need assistance (refs A and B). The refugees and host
communities welcomed the assistance provided under this UNHCR/UNFPA
project and are looking forward to new projects, especially those
that would help them generate income. END COMMENT.
CURRAN