Azerbaijan, Baku, June 16 / Trend V. Zhavoronkova /
The refugees from Kyrgyzstan, placed in neighboring Uzbekistan now, need food and basic necessities, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Bishkek Aigul Sigulina said.
"They [refugees] need food and essentials. The ICRC together with National Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan and other humanitarian organizations discuss organizing of humanitarian assistance for these refugees with the Uzbek government," Sigulina told Trend over phone from Bishkek.
Riots in Kyrgyzstan, which led to the overthrow of Bakiyev's government, took place in April this year. A new wave of riots began June 11. The authorities still can not bring the situation under full control. According to the last data, about 200 people died, about 2,000 injured in ethnic clashes. As a result of clashes there was a large number of refugees and internally displaced people in the south.
"According to our estimations, about 100,000 refugees crossed the border from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan. Official figures received from the Uzbek side are 45,000 registered adult refugees without children. Their total number is about 100,000 people," she said.
According to her, they settled in 40 camps, as well as factories, schools, parking or with relatives, most of them - women and children.
Besides refugees, there are also internally displaced people in Kyrgyzstan who left their homes but did not cross the Kyrgyz border.
"We know that there are about 50,000 internally displaced people in Suzak district of Jalal-Abad region, near the border with Uzbekistan, about 8,000 internally displaced people - in the Osh region", she said.
She said the ICRC's team visited 16 medical institutions for six days and brought drugs and various surgical instruments. More than 1,130 patients are treated there.
"Today, our employees might have to go to Suzak, where internally displaced people are placed, to assess the situation and deliver medical drugs. For example, there is a large number of internally displaced people in the village of Amir Timur," she said.
Water specialists went there to assess the situation as another basic problem is that there is no drinking water in these areas, she said.
The situation in Jalal-Abad and Osh is relatively calm. This makes the teams of the Red Cross to operate. Earlier, there was not necessary security for employees of the organization to go there, Sigulina said.