Residents of border areas of Kyrgyzstan, whose houses were damaged during the conflict in the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in September 2022, are still waiting for housing promised to them.
This photo was made in 2021. It shows parents and younger son of Abdirashit Kudaiberdiev drinking tea at his house. He lives in the Kyrgyz village of Ak-Sai in Batken region, on the border with Tajikistan. One year later, in September 2022, there were only ruins left.
During the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border in September 14 to 17, 2022, both sides lost over 100 people – both soldiers and ordinary people. During fierce military clashes, a lot of schools, mosques were destroyed in addition to houses of civilians, and administrative buildings were shelled.
Neither Abdirashit Kudaiberdiev, nor his family members were injured during the conflict, but his house was burnt to ashes. 418 houses were completely destroyed on the Kyrgyz side in just four days of clashes.
On September 22, 2022, President Sadyr Zhaparov ordered to rebuild the houses of Batken residents in the shortest possible time before the cold weather, and build new ones instead of those destroyed. The ministry of finance allocated money for construction – nearly 38 thousand dollars for each house.
“Amanat Stroi Invest” construction company won the tender for construction and hired 33 subcontracting firms for works. By the middle of January, only 45 houses were built and commissioned in Batken region.
This winter Abdirashit Kudaiberdiev with six children and his spouse spent in the city of Batken, where they rented a house without conveniences for 115 dollars per month. This is a significant amount for Batken region, where the average salary, according to the National Statistical Committee, was nearly 150 dollars in 2021.
The newly built house of Abdirashit Kudaiberdiev. Photo: CABAR.asia
The Kudaiberdievs family could move in their own house only in early April. The house was unfinished, though.
Isabek Togonov. Photo: CABAR.asia
The resident of Kapchygai village, pensioner Isabek Togonov, was not so lucky. His house is still not finished. There are only brick walls and the roof without any interior finishing. It unsuitable for living, and construction works suspended because workers were not paid.
We have to live in someone else’s house and the house owner wants us to move out. The quality of construction is very bad – interior walls are unstable, I don’t know what will happen next. We have applied to the authorities, but in vain. We don’t know the developer, we have never seen him. If they fail to finish the house until May, I will be living with my wife in a tent, and our grandchildren will come when the house is finished.
This is not the single case. On March 15, residents of the village of Kapchygai, whose houses were not finished, and works were suspended, addressed the president’s plenipotentiary in Batken region, Abdikarim Alimbaev. He promised that “construction workers will resume works on March 16,” but nothing happened. The same situation is with some houses in the village of Ak-Sai.
Currently, according to the president’s plenipotentiary for recovery and development of border villages in Batken region, Mamyrzhan Rakhimov, there are nearly 20 unfinished houses left.
“100 houses in Leilek district were finished, and in Batken district there are nearly 300 houses. About 20 houses are left in Ak-Sai and Kapchygai. Because of winter weather, construction works there were delayed. The developer promised to finish works by April 20,” he said to CABAR.asia.
However, locals who have to live in rented houses and apartments do not believe the promises of the authorities.
“I don’t think my house will be finished in 15 days. If construction workers come back, they will finish works by the end of May, at best. If they come, of course. Otherwise, I don’t know what I am going to do,” Isabek Togonov said.