AKIPRESS.COM - Kazakhstan plans to organize refugee centers in the regions bordering Uzbekistan, local media said Friday quoting a local government official, reports TASS.

"The regional budget provides establishment of refugee centers under the anti-terrorism article of the defense program," said the acting head of the economy and budget planning department of the government of Kazakhstan’s Mangistau region, Svetlana Nareshova.

She said the local budget allocated 340 million tenge (around US$850,000) to build the first refugee center near the border with Uzbekistan.

A refugee center is necessary in emergency situations, she said, adding that no refugees were expected in the region in the near future, however. It is planned to use these funds to buy tents, kitchenware, warm clothes for around 1,000 people.