U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will send a special envoy to Kyrgyzstan to help address ongoing political unrest in the country, the Associated Press reports. The country is currently under a state of emergency after deadly clashes on April 7 between anti-government protesters and army forces left at least 17 people dead and 180 wounded.
Meanwhile, Medecins Sans Frontieres already has a team in the capital city of Bishkek to respond to the needs of those injured during the clashes. The team provided emergency medical supplies to the National Hospital and three other health facilities in the city. More supplies are expected from a MSF supply center in France.
Kyrgyzstan can also expect urgent humanitarian assistance from the European Union, the bloc’s foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said April 8, according to Xinhua News. Ashton also called on all sides involved in the conflict to exercise restraint to avoid the further loss of lives.