Turkmenistan: Citizens are getting desperate

On 3 April 2021, Radio Free Europe reported that Turkmenistan's tightly controlled economy has been struggling for some time, with government revenues depleted due in part to unsuccessful energy deals and low global gas prices. A decrease in remittances sent by Turkmen migrant workers from Turkey to their families has also added to the country"s dire straits. A report by Asia News on 2 April 2021 provides more detailed information on the social consequences caused by these economic problems: There is an increasing number of beggars and homeless people, many of whom are women and children. World Watch Research (WWR) analyst Rolf Zeegers comments: "The Turkmen government does not seem to care at all about the difficult situation of the average citizen. Asia News concludes in its article mentioned above: "˜The economic crisis has caused not only the lack of food and the stoppage of production in general, but also a state of total unemployment". The government does not want to admit the gravity of the situation: Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated countries and resistant to external intervention, but the population - which includes a tiny minority of Christians of about 1% (WWR, Full Country Dossier, March 2021) - is now at breaking point."