Red Cross Volunteer Aids Tajikistan Drought Victims

Written by Mason Anderson, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

November 6, 2001 — As the nation continues to heal from the attacks of Sept. 11, youth groups have come together to assist victims in the United States and abroad. In Cincinnati, Ohio, American Red Cross volunteer Karthik Balasubramanian organized a fundraiser with all proceeds going either (nationally) to the victims of Sept. 11 or (internationally) to the victims of starvation in Tajikistan.

Karthik, 16, has been a volunteer with the American Red Cross for four years. A native of Cincinnati, Karthik was trained to be an International Humanitarian Law (IHL) instructor one year ago at his local Cincinnati chapter.

Like most people, Karthik was horrified by the events of Sept. 11. Immediately he began to think of ways to assist the victims and came up with the idea of a "Fast For Humanity." According to Karthik's plan, his classmates at Sycamore High School would donate their lunch money on Sept. 25 to assist victims.

As an IHL instructor, Karthik realized that the effects of Sept. 11 would not be limited to the United States — they would be felt around the world. It was while he was visiting the Web site of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that he learned about the drought in Tajikistan.

"I saw the appeal for money on the ICRC Web site," Karthik explained. "I realized the situation would only get worse as prejudices against that part of the world grow because of September 11."

The attacks of Sept. 11 have certainly impacted international relief efforts. Access to many countries is limited at best and many relief workers are unable to reach those most seriously in need, particularly in regions bordering Afghanistan.

One such region desperate for aid is Tajikistan, which lies along the northern border of Afghanistan.

Since becoming an independent nation in 1991 after the demise of the Soviet Union, Tajikistan has suffered socially and economically from almost five years of civil war and two years of severe drought. More than 1 million people there are on the verge of starvation.

This year alone the average rainfall has been only 44 percent of the national average. The drought has almost completely wiped out Tajikistan's crops —including its main staple food, wheat, because its farmland is dependent on rainfall for irrigation. The remaining crops not destroyed by drought are unfit for human consumption and can only be used as fodder.

Thousands of Tajik farmers face a winter without wheat.

The drought in Tajikistan is having a devastating impact on the health of its people. In rural areas, where more than 65 percent of people do not have access to clean drinking water, the number of people with severe diarrhea is on the rise. Dehydration from diarrhea is the leading cause of death for adults in Tajikistan, and other water-borne diseases such as typhoid and malaria are becoming more common.

As in many malnourished nations, the most vulnerable are the children. A survey conducted last year by Action Against Hunger found 41 percent of Tajikistan's children to be chronically malnourished and anemic. This survey was conducted before the most recent drought.

At the request of the Red Cross Society of Takikistan, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an emergency appeal for funding to provide the people of Tajikistan with essential clothing and food items.

So far, "Fast For Humanity" has raised more than $3,000. One third of that has gone to help victims of Sept. 11. About $2,000 has gone to assist those starving in Tajikistan.

"We have a responsibility to alleviate human suffering no matter what form it takes, wherever it happens," Karthik said. "That is why I love being a part of the Red Cross."