Since May, drought, a result of a dry winter and spring, has affected Central Asia, including western Kazakhstan. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the heatwave began in June 2021 in the southern and western regions of the country (Kyzylorda, Mangystau and Turkestan provinces). The minimum reserves of food and water are exhausted leading to the mass death of animals. A majority of drought-affected herders are smallholders, and their only source of income is their livestock.
DG ECHO is supporting the IFRC through its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) with an amount of EUR 200 000 to assist the response of the Red Crescent of Kazakhstan. The DREF will support 5,750 most vulnerable people with the provision of cash assistance.