At least 15 house fires have resulted in the deaths of children in Kazakhstan this year alone, according to Dinara Zakiyeva, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights. Zakiyeva believes the government should support families in need in order to prevent such tragedies. This sounds all too familiar, because the same was said five years ago, when five children died in a fire in Astana.
The February 2019 tragedy exposed the challenges faced by large families struggling to survive on meager benefits. In the aftermath, the authorities acknowledged that "measures to provide assistance to large families [were] insufficient" and started talking about possible solutions. One of these was the introduction of targeted social assistance (TSA), initially launched as a pilot project for those in need.
Soon after, however, the TSA became a pretext for officials to blame Kazakhstanis of their dependency on state help and their unwillingness to work. The president and other public officials have used this argument on numerous occasions. Some alleged that citizens were divorcing to qualify for TSA and hide their income.
In response, the government proposed changes to TSA eligibility requirements, purportedly to ensure assistance reaches those who truly need it. Starting January 1 next year, the TSA will be allocated according to the median income and “taking into account the financial situation of citizens.”
Meanwhile, Zakiyeva has also suggested enshrining in law a prohibition on leaving children under 12 without adult supervision. This proposal shifts blame onto parents instead of addressing the systemic issues that lead to such tragedies. The incidents Zakiyeva cited highlight that little has changed in five years, especially in rural areas, where a lack of work, money, kindergartens, and infrastructure limits families’ ability to provide safe living conditions for children.
Notably, dire family circumstances are not the only reason that children die in house fires. Large portions of Kazakhstan, especially to the north and to the east, are not linked to the gas network, an issue that has been discussed since 2019, and has yet to be resolved.
In November, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov noted that fires have occurred in residential sectors across the country almost daily since the heating season began in October. Yet, carbon monoxide detectors have not been installed as planned. In the regions of Almaty, Akmola, Aktobe, and Zhetysu only between 2-14% of households reportedly have such detectors.
Kazakhstan’s government turns a blind eye to pressing social problems in Kazakhstan until another tragedy occurs. Even then, the government fails to learn from its mistakes, perpetuating a cycle of inaction and recurring crises.
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