The poorest country in Central Asia Tajikistan is a mountainous landlocked country vulnerable to various natural disasters such as earthquakes, flood, mudslides, avalanches, etc. Each year the country experiences over 5,000 tremors and earthquakes which damage already inadequate housing and hinders income generation for the working poor. Usually the victims of this disaster are people 
living in the poorest rural areas – 70% of total population. The main causes of destruction in residential sector are cheap construction, poor earthquake-resistant infrastructure, lack of knowledge and financial resources to reinforce or even maintain the homes. There is no official building code/norms and regulations developed for earthquake resistant construction in rural areas.
HFH’s major activities for the last 2 years are focused on disaster response, mitigation and preparedness projects. HFHT uses the rehabilitation and reconstruction activities following a disaster as windows of opportunity for the rebuilding of livelihoods and for the planning and reconstruction of physical and socio-economic structures, in a way that will build community resilience and reduce vulnerability to future disaster risks.
HFHT initial Disaster response and preparedness project took place in Kumsangir, south edge of the country near the borders of Afghanistan. Two earthquakes measuring between 5 and 5,5 Richter scale hit Kumsangir on July 29, 2006. 3 children were killed, 19 people seriously injured, 2600 homes totally and partly damaged, 21000 people affected.
The response of HFHT was not short term but multi phased and mobilized all existing resources and involved number of partners such as UN Disaster Risk Management program, UN WFP, International NGOs such as Oxfam GB and Global Partners, the Institute of Seismology and Seismic-resistant Construction, the Scientific Research Institute of Construction/Architecture, the Ministry of Emergency Situation of RT, Kumsangir district government and local community initiative groups and families.
Within the first phase of the project 83 families (around 900people) in most affected Kumsangir village, Zamini Nav, have been supported to build earthquake resistant houses as well beneficiary families and around 300 individuals have gained basic skills and knowledge of earthquake safer construction practices.
Reinforcement of existing and survived but damaged houses inevitably became the issue both for the people living there in fear of the next tremor and all stakeholders being involved. HFHT took initiative in partnership with Institute of Seismology and Seismic-resistant Construction and the 
Scientific Research Institute of Construction/Architecture to develop appropriate, affordable and applicable house reinforcement technology and method for rural area. As a result most appropriate methods of reinforcing houses, using locally available materials without major construction expertise, have been developed. Further partnership with UNDRM and UNWFP supported to apply this technology and reinforce 120 houses in 3 earthquake affected villages of Kumsangir.
HFHT scaled up the project into other earthquake prone area of Tajikistan, Rasht district where currently 171 more families are supported to reinforce 
their decaying and vulnerable houses into decent and safe houses. Also it is planned to work closely with institute of seismology of Tajikistan to further develop the earthquake safer construction technology for rural area and propose to the government to develop official building code/regulation for the whole rural areas of the country.
Another currently active Disaster preparedness project is taking place in Norak where HFHT supports the relocation of 60 vulnerable families from mudslide prone area to safe location. Landslides occur in Nurek almost annually and over the last four years 40 homes have been destroyed and 7 people have lost their lives. Norak local government allocated 31, 77 hectare of safe land for the at-risk families to build new houses and relocate. 
Considering the capacity of HFHT and partner families it was decided to carry out the intervention in three stages building 20 houses at each stage. According to the concept of the project HFHT provides loans and technical assistance and necessary construction skills trainings for the families who in their own turn contribute labor and part of construction materials to complete the houses, the local government also provides small loans as well as basic infrastructure to the new homes (water, electricity, roads, etc). The completion of the first 20 houses is planned for the end of November 2008.
