On June 24, Arys residents, who were engaged in daily business, suffered an unexpected disaster.
In the warehouse of military unit No. 44856, adjacent to Arys, the military shells stored for decades began to explode behind each other, and practically destroyed the settlement with 45 thousand inhabitants.
As a result of the emergency, three people were killed. On 28 June, the residents of the city were able to gradually return to their homes.
Arys is a small town located 85 km from Shymkent and 168 km from Turkestan. 90% of 7,600 buildings were damaged. To date, they have all been rebuilt.
Since the explosion was reported, the media and ordinary residents have not interrupted the information from the scene. Residents have begun to evacuate to Shymkent and other nearby communities. Since the day of the tragedy, the mass media have been widely disseminating materials about "Arys, we are together" action and the measures taken to provide assistance.
On the same day, being one of the first, Assembly of People of Kazakhstan united residents of all corners of Kazakhstan, organizing large-scale humanitarian aid in regional branches.
The first aid began to be rendered in the building of the House of Friendship in Shymkent. The republican headquarters was opened there, and the coordination of all works was entrusted to the heads of the region Muratali Kalmuratov and Gani Rysbekov.
On the same day, work began in Turkestan and Shymkent to provide assistance to our compatriots affected by man-made disasters. Employees of the Secretariat and "Qogamdyq Kelisim" MPI, representatives of ethno-cultural associations started collecting the necessary items for those who found themselves in an emergency situation.
According to the operative information of the headquarters in Shymkent, for the first two days the members of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan provided assistance in the amount of 51 million kzt.
Uzbek ethno-cultural associations, the Azerbaijani Association, the Turkish Ethno-cultural Centre, the Association of Koreans of Kazakhstan and other republican and regional ethno-cultural associations were among the first in Turkestan province to join the action. On 24 June, local ethnocultural associations took over six evacuation points.
A special headquarters was created in the House of Friendship of the city of Nur-Sultan, where members of the capital's assembly and ethno-cultural associations provided assistance in the amount of 3 million kzt. Chairman of Uzbek cultural association of Nur-Sultan, philanthropist Hasan Sharipov, hearing about the incident, sent 22 tons of flour to Arys residents.
The capital's headquarters at the House of Friendship within the framework of the action "Arys, we are together!" collected 40 tons of foodstuffs, household items, clothes, bedding, and sent to Arys. 23 ethno-cultural associations of APK of the capital, "Qogamdyq Kelisim", mosque "Hazret Sultan" and "Nur-Astana", indifferent citizens took active part in this charitable action.
On the first day, the ethno-cultural associations of the southern capital Almaty provided assistance in the amount of 1 million kzt, the Assembly of Akmola region - 2.6 million kzt, APK of Aktobe region - 3 million kzt.
In this connection it is necessary to result in an example of members of APK, chairmen of ethno-cultural associations, representatives of APK’s Association of Entrepreneurs, who have shown wide gesture, having transferred money resources to corporate fund of social development "Turkestan".
None of the regional assemblies was left aside, and took an active part in the republican assistance.
The repeated aid was sent on July 2 from Almaty within the framework of the national charity event of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan "Caravan of Mercy".
Within the framework of the charity month of the Assembly "Erulik"б the humanitarian aid in the form of 9 trucks in the amount of 65 tons with building materials, foodstuffs were sent from Almaty.
Regional structures of APK also actively participated in the action, collecting money, toys for children, juices, clothes, medicines and sending them to Arys.
On June 26, within the framework of the JAQSYLYQJASA project, the Republican Youth Movement of AЗK "Zhangyru Zholy" successfully started creating volunteer groups, which went to the field to provide assistance.
In all regions of Kazakhstan, APK’s Secretariats and Qogamdyk kelisim’s staff supported the initiative of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to transfer one-day salaries to the suffered.
It is worth noting that today the provision of assistance to victims continues in various directions. For example, members of the youth wing of the capital's Assembly donated blood for the victims of the disaster, and veterans of the Afghan war in Turkestan allocated transport for transportation of people. The leaders of several ethno-cultural associations have liberated their homes for the evacuees.
APK’s Council of Mothers organized a charitable campaign "Children of Arys" across the republic, collecting toys, hygiene items and teaching aids for children. Initiated assistance to entrepreneurs and philanthropists in restoration of kindergartens and educational institutions, in preparation of schoolchildren for the new school year.
On 12 July, members of the Assembly, including the Uzbek Ethno-cultural Association and Dostyk Association, sent 10 trucks with construction materials from Shymkent to Arys.
Assistance in the amount of 10 million kzt was delivered to the sector No. 10, fixed in Shymkent.
Thus, the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan from June 24 to July 20 provided significant assistance to the amount of 107 million kzt.
Among them: Turkestan region and Shymkent - 31 million kzt, Nur-Sultan - 7 million kzt, Karaganda, Akmola, Aktobe regions - 6 million kzt each, Almaty and West Kazakhstan regions - 5 million kzt each, Kostanay, Zhambyl regions - 4 million kzt each, North-Kazakhstan and Atyrau regions - 3 million kzt each, Mangystau and Almaty regions - 2 million kzt each, and Pavlodar, East Kazakhstan and Kyzylorda regions - 1 million kzt each.
The Republican Association of Azerbaijani, Uighur, Kurdish and Turkish associations and communities has transferred funds to the needy in the amount of 15 million tenge.
In a short time, thanks to the solidarity of Kazakhstanis, Arys was restored, children began to prepare for school, and everything gradually took its place.