EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Tajiks Fear Another Cold Winter Without Heat Or Electricity

Tajiks across the country say one of their top priorities is storing up wood, coal, and essential foodstuffs for the upcoming winter.

They have reason to be concerned. Last year, Tajikistan experienced one of its coldest winters on record. Temperatures dropped below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Ice and snow blocked roads for weeks, isolating villages.

Compounding the problem was the near total lack of natural gas and severe shortages of electricity. At the same time, food prices soared, leaving residents of the impoverished country to subsist on the bare minimum.

Dozens, including some children, perished as a result of the cold. Rumors spread that newborn babies never made it out of maternity wards left without electricity.

The government has never revealed the exact number of people who died as a result of last year’s cold snap. But it appears eager to reassure people they won’t face a similar energy crisis this winter.