Francesco Rocca and Dr. Kerem Kinik met the country’s Vice Prime Minister, Zhenish Parpievich Razakov, to explore opportunities for joint disaster prevention and risk reduction projects.
“Together we are able to respond promptly to emergencies and natural disasters in Kyrgyzstan,” said President Rocca. “As the IFRC we bring our knowledge and experience to the cooperation, and in the implementation, we can rely on the Kyrgyz Red Crescent and the support of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic.”
Secretary General Elhadj As Sy had the opportunity to meet the State Secretary for Emergency Situations, Azamat Muratovich Mambetov. Their discussions included the practical implementations of the recently-adopted Red Crescent Law, including emergency coordination at the community level. This reinforces the role of the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan as the partner of state authorities in disaster response.
Due to its mountainous terrain, Kyrgyzstan is prone to natural disasters such as landslides, avalanches, mudflows and earthquakes. The country suffered 170 landslides in 2017 alone, many of which claimed lives.
The Red Cross and Red Crescent leaders later attended the European Youth Coordination Meeting, which was also taking place in Bishkek. President Rocca addressed youth delegates, ensuring them of his continuous support for their work to shape the future of the Movement.
On the following day the delegation attended a handover ceremony of two ambulance cars donated to the Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan by the Spanish Red Cross. This enables volunteers and staff of the Red Crescent to respond faster to health emergencies and provide medical support at large national events such as the upcoming World Nomad Games.