Kyrgyzstan: “Many people are too frightened to seek medical care”

The tension remains high in the south of Kyrgyzstan, where hundreds have been killed and thousands wounded during clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities in mid-June. Médecins Sans Frontières teams are on the ground providing medical care and psychological support to the affected populations. Interview with Anja Wolz, Médecins Sans Frontières Field Coordinator in Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan.

What is the current situation in Osh?

It is still very tense, although you cannot really notice it by going around the city. But with hundreds of houses burnt, mostly in Uzbek communities, and many shops remaining closed, you can feel that this is still very much a traumatised city. People whose houses were burnt live in tents in the middle of the ruins, or they are staying with neighbours or friends. The worst issue however is the invisible but permanent state of fear in which people, especially the Uzbeks, live. They are the target of frequent raids by security forces, followed by arrests and terrible abuses in detention centres. This fear, along with the remaining presence of armed men in and around some health facilities, renders access to health care very difficult for them.

What is Médecins Sans Frontières doing to assist these populations?

Our strategy is first to address the immediate medical needs of the populations. We are running mobile clinics in areas where people are too scared to venture out of their communities. We also provide emergency care to people who have been released from detention and have suffered beatings. An average of two patients every day reports this kind of abuse.  Some of these patients even report having been tortured.

We also provide drugs, medical equipment and treated water to health facilities that need them. Additionally, Médecins Sans Frontières psychologists are providing psychological support to the many people who have suffered in the June clashes: some have lost family members; others witnessed atrocities or narrowly escaped death. To reach even more people, we are now training 20 counsellors who will soon be able to start activities in their communities. Finally, we have pre-positioned some medical equipment and drugs in strategic locations to be able to respond quickly in case of renewed massive violence.

How do you see the situation evolving in the next few months?

It is still very unpredictable, as the level of tension between communities does not seem to be decreasing. What worries us most is that thousands of Uzbek people have chosen to go into exile, including educated people such as medical personnel and teachers. The poorest and the most vulnerable are staying behind, thus we may expect even greater lack of access to health care for them.

In this region, winter comes as early as October, and this will surely increase the vulnerability of those who now are forced to live in their destroyed houses. That is why we are planning to stay here to provide support to the population at least until the end of the year.