Local news agencies in Tajikistan quoted officials describing the winter as the heaviest for 50 years. In Kyrgyzstan, officials said that in one area in the south of the country a third of the livestock has already died.

Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are mountainous and heavy winters can trigger major logistical problems for rural communities which have only fairly basic standards of living.

They are also already both net receivers of aid, which, as ever, comes with a political undertone.

Russian president Dmitri Medvedev has ordered aid to be flown to Tajikistan and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that in January and February Tajikistan received aid worth $6m, mainly from Russia, Egypt and Iran.

Moscow has also strengthened relations with Kyrgyzstan last year since Almazbek Atambayev won a presidential election. Deputies in the Kyrgyz parliament have called for urgent help, a call sure to be answered by Russia and other neighbours such as Kazakhstan and possibly China.

The situation is made worse because the price of fodder to feed cattle has risen in the past few months and the government faces a shortage of airplanes and helicopters.