Russia

Current Key Disasters and Relief Efforts

A major earthquake struck the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan in January 2010, resulting in light casualties, but much damage and economic losses in an already poor area. The earthquake and heavy rains also triggered a landslide. The damages complicated those left by an earthquake that had hit a nearby area in July 2009. Disaster relief and rebuilding efforts came from United Nations (UN) agencies, the Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team (REACT), and the Tajik Emergency Ministry, among others. Emergency relief kits supplied to victims included food, water purification tablets, tents, clothing, hygiene items, fuel, and other essential goods.

Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, epidemic disease outbreaks have increased in Russia and former Soviet territories. A combination of political and economic instability, as well as new social freedoms, have made it harder for the Russian government and outside groups and agencies to combat these epidemics. Growing diseases have included tuberculosis, hepatitis, syphilis, diphtheria, malaria, polio, influenza, and the human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS).

The HIV/AIDS crisis has been especially acute. Russia and the Ukraine have one of the most rapidly expanding HIV/AIDS epidemics, and account for most of eastern Europe's infections; some experts fear that Russia will soon lead the world in deaths from HIV/AIDS.

Most sufferers are injecting drug users, sex workers, and their sexual partners, but infection rates in other groups are also growing. Efforts to spread treatment and prevention programs have been slowed by discrimination against the affected populations, low government funding, and a lack of public awareness. Thus, NGOs such as the Russian Harm Reduction Network and the Global Efforts Against AIDS in Russia (GLOBUS) are most active in alleviating the crisis.

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