Ashgabat, 2 September 2020: Over 2500 food and 1250 hygiene parcels have reached the vulnerable populations in Ashgabat and Ahal to reduce the pandemic impact. Another batch of parcels will be soon delivered to the vulnerable communities living in Lebap and Dashoguz regions.

United Nations Development Programme together with the public organization “Yenme” have partnered to identify and support the most affected community members under the current pandemic situation. Under the Rapid Response Facility grant allocated to tackle consequences of the global pandemic, food and hygiene parcels have been purchased to help vulnerable people in these challenging times.

“Most of the highly-affected population are referred to the vulnerable groups of population and mainly those who require support from social services. Among those groups are low-income families, children with special needs, people with disabilities, single mothers of many children, lone elderly people,” explained Gulya Chorekliyeva, Chairperson of NGO “Yenme”. “As part of our joint work, we visit people affected by the pandemic situation to distribute food and hygiene parcels and try to encourage positive thinking by showing that they are not left out alone at this critical moment of the year”

The support provided to the identified group is planned to be expanded under the Immediate Socio-Economic Response Plan to Acute Infectious Disease Pandemic for Turkmenistan. The Plan was developed by the Government of Turkmenistan, with support of the UN Country Team (UNCT) and technical lead by the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

This Socio-Economic Response Plan comprises five areas of work that together constitute an integrated support package of measures to mitigate the negative impact of the global pandemic on the socio-economic situation in Turkmenistan, with particular focus on the most vulnerable groups in line with the principle of “leaving no one behind”.