Tajikistan, South Korea Join Forces to Rebuild Schools After Earthquake

The governments of Tajikistan and South Korea, in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), have completed the reconstruction of two schools in the Rasht and Tojikobod districts that were damaged by an earthquake earlier this year.

A reopening ceremony was held on October 1, attended by representatives of local authorities, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Tajikistan Jeon Sung Sik, and WFP Country Director in Tajikistan Adham Musallam, The Caspian Post informs via Tajik media.

Ambassador Jeon remarked that the government of South Korea had acted swiftly after the earthquake to support the project alongside the government of Tajikistan. “This project stands as a testament to Korea being a warm friend and genuine partner of Tajikistan in times of need,” he said. “We hope these schools will plant seeds of hope and help raise the future leaders of the country.”

Adham Musallam emphasized the lasting impact of the initiative: “Thanks to the support of the people and the government of Korea, children in the remote Rasht Valley now have access to quality education, helping to build brighter futures and stronger communities.”

The reconstructed facilities-School #56 in Rasht and School #33 in Tojikobod-will serve approximately 180 students. In addition to classrooms, new kitchens and canteens were built to support the WFP’s school feeding program, which aims to improve nutrition and educational outcomes.

These efforts are part of WFP’s broader emergency response and school feeding initiatives in Tajikistan. In 2025, the School Feeding Programme reached more than 416,000 primary schoolchildren across over 1,900 schools in 53 districts and towns.

The Republic of Korea remains a key partner to WFP, contributing both emergency aid and long-term support for resilience-building projects around the world.

WFP, the world’s largest humanitarian organization, continues using food assistance to help communities recover from disasters, promote stability, and support development.