"Thousands of families now live in territory disputed by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, the two poorest former Soviet states. In some places, Kyrgyz and Tajik homes are jumbled together; in others, “mono-ethnic” communities are linked by contested roads or waterways. As this uncertainty enters its third decade, problems have piled up – land and water shortages, economic hardship, crumbling infrastructure, poor governance, nationalism. Not surprisingly, interethnic tension is simmering." (Quoted from article)