Investing in a Community’s Response to Drought – On July 25, 2001, U.S. Ambassador Herbst and Esnazar Usenov, executive director of Atamakan, a non-governmental charitable organization, signed an agreement providing $25,000 to fund a potable water supply improvement project for residents of the Karakalpakstan community of Khalkabad. Khalkabad has suffered from a two -year drought that affected all of Karakalpakstan. This funding was provided by USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance in response to the government of Uzbekistan’s request for emergency relief.