In 2020, the people of the Kyrgyz Republic, like those of many other countries, experienced the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic spread human suffering, destabilized the economy and upended lives in every city and village. In 2020, more than 81,000 cases of COVID-19, including 1,360 deaths, were registered. As this report is being published, the virus continues to claim lives almost every day. The darkest days of the pandemic, that saw the health system overwhelmed, medical personnel exhausted beyond all limits, and official statistics for deaths reached dozens per day in June-July 2020, may have passed, but the pandemic is more than just a health crisis. It has pushed many people deeper into poverty, widened social inequality and exacerbated human rights and gender issues.