Some refugees from closed camp Iman seek housing in IngushetiaRuslan Isayev, North Caucasus – Some refugees from the recently dismantled tent refugee camp Iman were forced to return to Chechnya, fearing for their own as well as their relatives’ lives. Those of the refugees who remained in Ingushetia are seeking reasonable places to stay. Some of them have already found shelter with their relatives.
Several Chechen families relocated to Malgobek. Mumadi Zubayev and his five children are among them. They moved temporarily into a room in a building within the compound of a former radio factory in the outskirts of Malgobek. Mumadi's younger brother who lived there up to then surrendered his room to them and moved into private housing, paying rent for his apartment.
Mumadi was evicted from the camp by force. He says he was told directly that if he would not take down his tent voluntarily it would be removed by bulldozers, all furnishings included. Under these circumstances he departed from the camp on December 1.
His family does not feel comfortable at the new place. There is no elementary school and no humanitarian aid is provided. In addition to a school, there were English language and computer courses as well as various sports groups at the tent camp they had left. Now they have nothing of that and Mumadi sees no good prospects for his children.
Mumadi does not want to return to Chechnya until the situation is fully stabilized there. He fears for his children, the oldest of whom just turned 14. Mumadi has serious reasons for concern. In 1999 during the bombardment of their village Itum-Kala his second son, nine-year-old Baudi, was seriously wounded in an explosion of a Russian surface-to-surface missile. He became disabled after a shrapnel hit him in the head. And his third son Latkhan has had a stammer ever since that day.
Many Chechens living in Ingushetia believe the authorities will proceed with the liquidation other tent camps. After celebrating the end of the month of Ramadan, people are apprehensively expecting large-scale operations aimed at forcible resettlement of refugees back to Chechnya.
(D/T) |
