ASTANA – During an April 29 meeting, Kazakh Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov assigned the Atyrau Region’s administration to protect the city and surrounding settlements from approaching flood waters, as the Zhaiyk River water level is rising every day, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
Photo credit: Emergency Situation Department of the Atyrau Region. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Bektenov instructed the work to be arranged akin to that in the West Kazakhstan Region, where intensive work has been done for a long time to keep the area safe from high water.
“The flood situation is stabilizing in the West Kazakhstan Region. I would like to note the coordinated work of all involved departments. Joint efforts made it possible to prevent flooding of 84 settlements, and the consequences of floods in the region were minimized. Now there is no new threat of flooding,” said Bektenov.
The water level in the rivers of the East Kazakhstan Region is below the critical level. The situation in the North Kazakhstan Region is stabilizing.
Photo credit: The Ministry of Emergency Situations
According to Bektenov, 13,259 families have already received a payment worth $837 each. The volume of payments for dead livestock reached 278 million tenge (US$629,545).
Over 670 million tenge ($1.5 million) was allocated to repair 524 houses.
The Khabar TV channel reported that Kazakhstan’s universities support the West Kazakhstan Region’s flood victims. On April 28, five universities in Shymkent delivered humanitarian aid cargo to Uralsk. The teaching staff of Almaty-based Al-Farabi Kazakh National University also sent 20 tons of food and necessities. Makhambet Utemissov West Kazakhstan University provided two dormitories to accommodate nearly 600 flood victims temporarily.
“Our colleagues from other regions did not remain indifferent. They provided us with humanitarian assistance. We express gratitude to all university employees, students, and citizens of Kazakhstan who support us,” said Zhanbota Yeshimova, a staff member of Makhambet Utemissov West Kazakhstan University.
Compensation assistance continues and is under strict Government control. Photo credit: The Ministry of Emergency Situations
Following President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s directive, two prominent Kazakh businessmen Kairat Itemgenov, the main shareholder of Aq Niet Group LLP, and Almas Mynbayev, chair of Nomad Life and Nomad Insurance companies, demonstrated their philanthropic commitment by allocating substantial sums to the Qazaqstan Halqyna Fund for flood relief efforts. Notably, both Itemgenov and Mynbayev are Forbes millionaires. Itemgenov allocated 1.3 billion tenge ($2.9 million), while Mynbayev allocated 450 million tenge ($1 million).
Since April 1, the fund has received 4.7 billion tenge ($10.6 million) for assistance to flood victims. Almost 500 million tenge ($1.1 million) were sent by individuals.
The Coca-Cola company allocated over 100 million tenge ($226,455) to purchase bedding, food and hygiene kits for the flood victims.
