Humanitarian Action in the Northern Caucasus - 1-30 November 2001 I. HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
The UN Launches the Appeal for the North Caucasus for 2002: US$ 32 Million Sought
The United Nations in the Russian Federation presented its 2002 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the North Caucasus in Moscow on 27 November 2001. The launch of the appeal was part of a global launch by the UN Secretary-General in New York calling on the international community to provide contributions to sustain the lives of 33 million people affected by eighteen crises in countries around the world.
Since 1999 hundreds of thousands of people in Chechnya have had to flee from their homes mainly to Ingushetia and live in conditions of extreme difficulty. The situation in Chechnya continues to be uncertain, and while there is hope of a political solution, which will allow people to return home, their immediate basic needs of shelter, clean water, food, primary health care, education, employment, and protection have to be met. For the last two years, the UN and the humanitarian community at large have been addressing these needs. Thanks to improved coordination between all the different organisations involved in the region, the general aid effort has improved in terms of efficiency and meeting its goals. The coordination mechanisms will be further strengthened with the appointment of a UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator, based in Nazran, Ingushetia. This year the government and the aid community managed to address the primary needs of 160,000 IDPs in Ingushetia, and international relief for civilians in needs in Chechnya increased substantially. However, humanitarian needs there remain largely unmet. Access to populations in need in Chechnya has improved over the last months but the safety of aid staff there remains problematic. The UN awaits authorization to set up a radio communications network to increase preventive security measures for UN and NGO staff.
The UN will work towards four strategic goals over the course of the next year:
- To protect and respect the basic human rights of the civilian population in Chechnya and Ingushetia, and work towards the creation of real choices and self-reliance;
- To preserve the well being of children and youth;
- To help civil society groups and local NGOs to gain the confidence, skills, and capacities needed to contribute to the development of society;
- To prepare legal, education, health, and other social structures in Chechnya so that they can function effectively in the future.
UN financial requirements for 1 January – 31 December 2002
| Sector |
UNHCR |
WFP |
FAO |
WHO |
UNICEF |
UNESCO |
UNDP |
OCHA |
UN TFS* |
Sector Totals |
| Protection/HR/Rule of Law |
2,268,271 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2,268,271 |
| Food |
- |
12,784,654 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
12,784,654 |
| Agriculture |
- |
- |
1,118,500 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1,118,500 |
| Shelter & Non-Food Items |
3,394,879 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
3,394,879 |
| Health |
- |
- |
- |
1,510,500 |
1,000,000 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2,510,500 |
| Water & Sanitation |
745,000 |
- |
- |
20,000 |
620,000 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1,385,000 |
| Education |
604,050 |
- |
- |
- |
2,300,000 |
818,000 |
- |
- |
- |
3,722,050 |
| Mine Action |
170,000 |
- |
- |
70,000 |
1,200,000 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1,440,000 |
| Economic Recovery & Infrastructure |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
780,000 |
- |
- |
780,000 |
| Coordination |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1,044,840 |
- |
1,044,840 |
| Security |
432,800 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1,065,055 |
1,497,855 |
| Agency Totals |
7,615,000 |
12,784,654 |
1,118,500 |
1,600,500 |
5,120,000 |
818,000 |
780,000 |
1,044,840 |
1,065,055 |
31,946,549 |
*UN Trust Fund for Security in New York.
Sphere Project Workshop: To Improve the Quality of Assistance
From 27-29 November in Nazran, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in collaboration with the Caucasian Refugee Council (CRC), Mercy Corps, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) conducted a Sphere Project workshop on disaster response. The aim of the Sphere Project is to improve the quality of assistance provided to people affected by disasters, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster response. The Sphere project has developed a Humanitarian Charter and a set of universal Minimum Standards in core areas of humanitarian assistance such as water supply and sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter and site planning, and health services. The Project is sponsored by a number of Governments and managed by core NGO networks (SCHR, InterAction, ICVA, and Voice). The workshop in the North Caucasus was oriented for UN and NGO staff managing the emergency and disaster response programme. The participants obtained a working knowledge of the Sphere Project and explored the practical application of the Minimum Standards in their programme. The second workshop to be conducted by Mercy Corps in March 2002 will bring together officials from the federal and local governments, military and policing structures, as well as from local NGOs.
II. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Protection
The federal migration authorities, as of April 2001, halted the registration of new IDPs leaving Chechnya. This has been preventing IDPs’ access to temporary shelter and government assistance. UNHCR has been addressing this matter by mediating with the authorities on a case-by-case situation. Another issue of concern to displaced persons is the issuance of identity documents to undocumented displaced persons in Ingushetia. UNHCR is continuing to advocate on behalf of IDPs and provide support to enhance national mechanisms for the issuance of legal documentation. On 2 November, the visa and passport department of the Ministry of Interior set up an office for IDPs from Chechnya in Nazran. IDPs who lost their documents now have access to the Ministry of Interior and are no longer obliged to go to their former place of residence to obtain new documents. This is an important improvement in finding a solution to the legal status of IDPs.
Food Aid
The World Food Programme (WFP) and its NGO partner, the People in Need Foundation (PINF), are considering providing support to the home care system in Grozny by food-for-work programme starting from December. Under this activity, food rations will be given to 40 nurses who would deliver food to old and handicapped people unable to reach distribution sites to collect their food rations. At present, PINF implements the WFP food-for-work projects in three districts of Grozny. The beneficiaries are involved in repair of schools and cleaning of streets.
Shelter & Non-Food Items
An increasing number of IDPs living with host families and in spontaneous settlements in Ingushetia are becoming insolvent. According to EMERCOM of Ingushetia, about 1,850 IDP families requested them to move to camps since they are no longer able to pay rents to owners of the spontaneous settlements and host families. On the other hand, some host families can no longer afford to keep displaced families with them, and they should be helped so as to avoid eviction. The Swiss government is to restart its compensation for shelter programme to those host families who have been providing accommodation to IDPs. In the winter 2000-2001, the Swiss government provided retroactive compensation for 15,334 host families. The second phase of the programme will provide a retroactive one-fold and unconditional contribution to host families through the local postal service. The identification of beneficiaries is based on the results of the official registrations conducted between April and August 2001 and verified by the programme staff.
UNHCR continues its winterization programme in Ingushetia. This consists of replacing worn out tents, repairing tents, upgrading or repairing the infrastructure in some large spontaneous settlements, and preparing additional shelter facilities in empty buildings. UNHCR procured and started replacing, with EMERCOM of Ingushetia old, worn out tents for new ones in six camps. 400 tents, which will accommodate over 6,000 IDPs, will be replaced.
Health & Nutrition
The World Health Organization (WHO), in cooperation with the Special Project on Pharmaceuticals in NIS conducted a survey in Ingushetia to determine the main problems in the health status of the IDP population. The results of the survey will help identify the main tasks for targeted education of both health care workers and IDP patients, the first round of which will be conducted in mid-December.
Water & Sanitation
Polish Humanitarian Organization (PHO) continues its water purification and distribution programme in Grozny. The NGO manages four water purification systems provided by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Since the beginning of November, the average volume of potable water supplied to health centres, schools, and other general distribution sites in the city has been 350 m3 per day. UNHCR has provided PHO water trucks and water bladders. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has complemented the programme by providing pumps, storage tankers, and hoses. On 29 November, UNICEF and PHO signed an agreement aiming to improve the sewage and garbage collection system in Grozny.
Education
WHO organised a training course on ‘Methods of psycho-diagnosis and psycho-correction of post-traumatic stress disorders in children and adults’ in Nazran from 3-5 November. It was conducted by a lecturer from the Moscow Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences for representatives from Chechnya’s and Ingushetia’s children rehabilitation centres. Topics included: methods such as art, play, psychotherapy, work with parents of children enrolled in rehabilitation centres, and therapy for other vulnerable groups such as women and young males. During the practical training, the participants had an opportunity to develop their abilities of analysing patient cases and learn about different psychotherapeutic methods. The next training course will be held in January 2002 and will cover the psychological rehabilitation of disabled children. WHO is to distribute specialized literature and video material for upgrading the knowledge of psychologists and psychotherapists working in psychosocial rehabilitation centres in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) culture and training centre in Nazran held a seminar on Chechen Ethics for 24 teachers from Grozny and NGO-run schools in Ingushetia. In coordination with this seminar, IRC supported the publication of the text ‘The main moral and ethic values of Chechen people’. This was written by the director of the centre and will be distributed to teachers both in Ingushetia and Chechnya. IRC administered Russian standardized exams for core courses to all students in the NGO-run schools in Ingushetia. Results will be analysed for evaluation of student learning conditions.
The Centre for Peacemaking and Community Development (CPCD) with the support of UNICEF has built four new wooden schools in IDP camps in Ingushetia. These schools, which work in shifts, provide places for 3,000 IDP children, many of whom have had little or no education for several years. In addition, the NGO continues to run ‘Omega’ tent school for around 800 IDP children. From March 2001, CPCD has been running a project aimed at offering new skills and productive activities to young people living in the Bart camp. Classes are held each day after the Little Star (psychosocial support programme for children) sessions, in knitting, sewing, first aid, English language, and guitar playing. The NGO expects to extend the programme to other IDP camps in Ingushetia.
Mine Action*
From 5-14 November, UNICEF together with its NGO partners and the ICRC, developed and implemented a survey to determine the scope and depth of mine awareness knowledge among IDPs residing in camps, spontaneous settlements, and with host families in Ingushetia. The survey was a follow-up of previous efforts undertaken by the Voice of Mountains (VoM) in June 2000 and UNHCR in March 2001. Prior to undertaking the survey, UNICEF organized training on research methodology to ensure the reliability of the data collected. The survey also aimed at gathering information on where the IDPs used to live in Chechnya, the number of trips they have made to Chechnya in the past six months, whether they know people that have been injured by mines, and whether they have been fitted with prostheses. The results of the survey will be entered into a database and disseminated widely.
In mid-November, WHO held a seminar for prosthetic technicians from the prosthetic workshops in the North Caucasus. The seminar was designed to cover the training in prosthetic manufacturing techniques with an introduction of new methods of prosthetic manufacturing and an exchange of an experience between prosthetic experts in the region.
* Mine action in this report refers to one or a combination of the following activities: mine awareness, victim assistance, and vocational training.
Produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
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