Reliable Swiss help the mountain folk of Pamir

Swiss aid workers are regarded in Tajikistan as pragmatic and determined.(Lioudmila Clot, swissinfo.ch)

This dynamic former Soviet state in central Asia has a rich history. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the state became independent and civil war broke out at around the same time. This lasted for seven years and claimed more than 60,000 lives.

The Swiss began working there in 1993, at first delivering humanitarian aid. In 1997, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) opened an office in Dushanbe. Its director, Peter Mikula, describes Tajikistan as ”a jewel, yet to be discovered”.

Between 2012 and 2015, Switzerland invested a total of CHF62.5 million ($64.4 million) in Tajikistan, a third of which is focused on water infrastructure, CHF11.5 million on the private sector and CHF12 million on improvements to the public health system.