ASTANA – Nearly 25,000 volunteers banded together and collected at least 553 tons of humanitarian aid from across the country. More than 370 tons have been delivered to the flood-affected regions as of April 8, reported the Ministry of Culture and Information press service.
20 tons of humanitarian aid from Astana. Photo credit: Astana Akimat press service
Volunteers continue to work in Aktobe, Kostanai, West Kazakhstan, Akmola, Atyrau and Abai regions. They are assisting flood victims at evacuation points, improving coastal protection and working at humanitarian aid collection points.
Some 8,500 volunteers in Aktobe are collecting humanitarian aid, helping with aid transportation from collection points to evacuation centers and providing hot meals to emergency workers.
Humanitarian aid for flood victims. Photo credit: Astana Akimat press service
More than 300 volunteers from the Akmola Region assisted in the evacuation of 700 people and organized meals and hot tea for emergency workers.
At least 4,000 volunteers are involved in the West Kazakhstan Region. Approximately 400 volunteers with cars are helping with the evacuation efforts, and 500 volunteers are conducting awareness campaigns on precautionary measures among the population.
The Kostanai Region has approximately 3,000 volunteers who are conducting street patrols to warn residents about evacuation, reinforcing dams, digging trenches to redirect water channels and providing humanitarian assistance.
Humanitarian aid collection in Astana. Photo credit: Astana Akimat press service
The volunteer headquarters in the Atyrau Region is open 24/7. Approximately 5,000 volunteers are involved in the dam preparation work, and 150 volunteers with cars are assisting in the evacuation of residents in the region’s Zhylyoi district.
Approximately 30 tons of humanitarian aid were dispatched from the Turkistan Region to the Aktobe Region, with at least 1,000 volunteers engaged.
More than 117 tons of humanitarian aid have been collected in the Almaty Region with the help of volunteers.
With the help of 30 volunteer organizations and 500 people at collection points, Astana has sent over 250 tons of humanitarian aid to the West Kazakhstan, Kostanai, and Akmola regions.
The Kyzylorda Region sent 112 tons of aid with food, clothing, hygiene products, medicines and construction materials to the Aktobe Region.
In the North Kazakhstan Region, the volunteer movement called The Help is Nearby is cooperating with the Ministry of Emergency Situations in flood prevention efforts to prepare the population for possible flooding. They are conducting street patrols and awareness campaigns on precautionary measures among the population.
“People at evacuation centers need food, including rice, flour, sugar, buckwheat, tea and sunflower oil, and garbage bags,” said Elvira Esmukhanova, deputy chairwoman of Astana’s volunteer headquarters. She added that volunteers also accept warm clothes, drinking water, baby food, household goods, clean children’s clothes, blankets, bedspreads and pillows.
The cities of Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent, as well as the Zhambyl, Turkistan, Almaty, Kyzylorda, Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan, Mangystau, and Zhetisu regions, have humanitarian aid collection points.
The National Volunteer Network has established call centers in all 20 regions, accessible via a single contact number, +7 708 706 4242, to coordinate volunteer efforts.
