Almost a thousand people in Tajikistan have fallen victim to mines and unexploded remnants of war either during the civil war in the country in the 1990s, or as a result of accidents along the border with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. This number is increasing every year.
For those who have been left with a disability as a result of these accidents, it is especially difficult to maintain financial independence and the ability to support their families. The ICRC has designed a cash grant programme to help them to start small businesses. Shukhrat, a taxi driver, took part in the programme last year.
In 2016, some 800 families benefited from the programme, which covered all regions of the country. Among them are many former deminers, like Shukrat, who were engaged in mine clearance during and after the armed conflict in the 1990s.
