Prime Minister Bektenov instructs cabinet to monitor epidemiologic situation and prevent looting in flooded areas

During a meeting of the national emergency operation center in Atyrau, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov instructed authorities in flooded regions to strengthen their control over the sanitary and epidemiological situation and prevent looting of properties evacuated people have left behind.

«The situation with floods is difficult. The president ordered us to maintain law and order in flooded areas. We must also provide people with everything they need to live their normal lives. This is why I am instructing you to strengthen your control over the situation and prevent food prices from increasing. We have already started to compensate for the damage in several regions. This work must be done with no bureaucracy and in a swift manner. Local governors should keep an eye on this. All utility enterprises and sanitary and epidemiologic services have been put on alert. We have to provide people with all necessary services properly,» Bektenov highlighted.

He has also given the following instructions:

–       The Ministry of Health should strengthen control over the sanitary and epidemiological situation in flooded areas. Particularly to monitor the quality of drinking water;

–       The Ministry of Agriculture should ensure veterinary control over livestock and wild animals in order to prevent epizootic outbreaks;

–       The police should guarantee the safety of the properties of evacuated people;

–       Local authorities should provide people with all necessary supplies and find temporary shelters for those who can’t yet go back to their homes.

A state of emergency has been declared in ten regions: Akmola, Aktobe, Atyrau, Karaganda, Kostanay, Pavlodar, West Kazakhstan, North Kazakhstan, Abay, and Ulytau.

According to authorities, they have deployed 12,000 people, more than 800 items of machinery and 400 items of pumps and boats.

More than 70,000 people have been evacuated from the flooded area.

In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that it has evacuated more than 60,000 livestock animals. At the same time, special teams are searching for dead animals for their proper disposal to prevent epizootic outbreaks.

So far, they have disposed of 133 cows, 809 sheep, and 64 horses.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has instructed the Ministry of Defense to deploy additional troops in flooded areas to assist local authorities in fighting floods. Addressing the people of Kazakhstan, the president also said that all who suffered from the natural disaster would receive compensation for the damage. A national information center was ordered to report to people about everything the government has been doing in recent days to keep them informed.

According to President Tokayev, the current floods are «the most devastating natural disaster in Kazakhstan in the past 80 years.»