JANUARY-MARCHI 2003 N I T N T E E R N R A F T N I O N A A A L T

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THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH OF

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I N N T E T R E N A R F T I N O A N A A ADYGEA Jan-Mar 03 L T

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CHERKESSIA Caucasus in 1993, in R C E D

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O KABARDINO- CASPIAN SEA S S S S response to the Prigorodny BALKARIA conflict. Khasavurt NORTH DAGESTAN Since then the organisation BLACK SEA OSSETIA has maintained a permanent region-wide ICRC Plan of Action presence and continues to provide assistance and on the in 2003 protection to those affected by the situation in the The year 2003 will see a substantial shift from the emergency oriented response to Chechen republic. one which addresses both emergency and rehabilitation needs in the affected areas. The ICRC will also continue its structural support to efforts of the federal N The ICRC maintains offices and local authorities providing essential services to residents. It comprises in Chechnya, Ingushetia, doubling of the current ICRC surgical support to hospitals in Chechnya and W E further rehabilitation work including laboratory, blood banks and training Dagestan, North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and elements, as well as enhancing water and sanitation programs. S Stavropolsky krai.

Highlights

January, 25, Nalchik In its annual appeal for Representatives from Chechen television media participated in the mine awareness 2003, the ICRC requested roundtable organised by the ICRC as part of its mine awareness programme. It is vitally nearly 30 million USD to important to have correct information about the daily threat from landmines and media plays finance its activities in the key role in raising awareness about the danger. The ICRC experts and the journalists shared Russian Federation. ideas on how to draw the public's attention to the problem and promote the appropriate behaviour in the region. The journalists are willing to make TV clips and documentaries Operations in the Northern propelling the life-saving activities and giving the warning messages. As a tool for effective Caucasus amount to over mutual cooperation, such roundtables will be held on a regular basis. 27 million USD. February, 4,

"Humanity and War" exhibition opened its doors to visitors again. The exhibition shows the impact of war on human lives and highlights the principles of the conventions, the norms of International Humanitarian Law and the worldwide activities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. The exhibition has proved successful over the last few years and travelled to , Cherkessk, Stavropol, Krasnodar, , Armavir, Vladikavkaz, Nalchik, MinVody, Budennovsk, Mozdok etc. It is especially important that the exhibition is attended by the school graduates due to join military service in the near future.

February, 12, In January-March 2003, each month the ICRC Arjan Erkel - the Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) Head of Mission in Dagestan (Russian provided food and non- Federation) - was kidnapped six months ago. There has since then been no news about his food assistance fate. As it has done repeatedly since his abduction, the ICRC calls for Arjan Erkel's immediate to more than 150’000 and unconditional release. Kidnapping of civilians is prohibited under international beneficiaries in the humanitarian law. Furthermore, by targeting humanitarian organizations, kidnapping has North Caucasus. moreover proven a major constraint on aid reaching victims in Chechnya and surrounding Republics. Security in North Caucasus remains a major concern for all the humanitarian actors.

January-March, Shali

In the first quarter of 2003 the ICRC completed a rehabilitation project in Shali Regional Central Hospital. Repair works covered water supply system, general facilities unit, surgery department and operating theatre. The total cost of rehabilitation project is 60 000 USD. Shali Regional Central hospital provides care for more than 350 people. For further details visit our web site www.icrc.org

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organisation whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance. It directs and co-ordinates the international relief activities conducted by the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement in situations of conflict. It also endeavours to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening international humanitarian law and international humanitarian principles. Established in 1863, the ICRC is at the origin of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. 1

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C F I E O D ICRC Operations in Chechnya in 2003 E T R N A T A I S O L N

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Among the limited number of humanitarian organizations present on the territory of the Chechen T A

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with the goal of maintaining the economic security of its residents with diverse support. The ICRC

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R C E will provide additional economic input at the household level in the form of food and non-food D Goragorskiy

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assistance. Social criteria is used to define the most vulnerable sections of the displaced and Grozny resident populations affected by the situation in Chechnya. As part of its protection programs, the Argun Achkhoy- Martan Gekhi ICRC will not only continue visits to those detained in relation to the situation in Chechnya, but will Shali Bamut Starye Novye Urus- Atagi Atagi also extend the dialogue with relevant authorities on respect of the civilian population and global Martan protection issues.

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Food Assistance Bread Programme ICRC setup in Chechnya The bread programme is being implemented since 1997. The most vulnerable people living ! in urban centres and big villages in the republic receive 12 loaves of bread and a 92 national staff supplemental ration including 1 kg sugar, 1 lt oil, 1 laundry soap and 0,2 kg tea on a monthly ! 98 daily workers basis through 58 kiosks monitored by the ICRC staff.

Number of beneficiaries: 47 100 Areas of distribution: ! Towns: Grozny, Urus-Martan, Shali, Argun, Kurchaloy, Gudermes; ! Villages: Chechen-Aul, Gikalo, Prigorodnoe (Grozny district), Alkhan-Yurt (Urus- Food Items Martan district). ! 1 968 food parcels Collective centres (CC) Programme ! 401 657 loaves of bread ! 140 485 kg of sugar The ICRC is consistently providing the residents of the nine old Collective Centres with one ! food parcel per person every two months and a hygiene kit twice a year. 140 485 lt of oil ! 277 482 boxes of tea (100 g) Number of beneficiaries: 2 395 ! 8 745 kg of wheat flour Areas of distribution: ! ! Argun, Sakhzavodskaya str., 9 8 745 kg of beans ! Argun, Sakhzavodskaya str., 11 ! 8 745 kg of potatoes ! Argun, Gagarina str., Kindergarten ‘DCK’ ! 3 498 kg of onion ! Argun, Gagarina str., Kindergarten ‘Sakhzavod’ ! Argun, Sakhzavodskaya str., 13 ! Gudermes, Depovskaya str., 76 ! Gudermes, Makhachkalinskaya str., 60 Non-Food Items ! Grozny, Tukhachevskogo str., 11 A ! 325 592 bars of soap ! Grozny, Yaltinskaya str., 24 ! 2 691 hygiene kits The ICRC continues registration of the beneficiaries in seven newly established Collective ! 24 gas stoves Centres in order to assist them with hygiene kits every 6 months.

Number of beneficiaries: 4 093 Areas of distribution: Social criteria of ! Grozny, gor. Mayakovskogo, 119 Chechnya Bread ! Grozny, B. Khmelnitskogo str., 133 Programme beneficiaries ! Grozny, Vyborgskaya str., 4 ! elderly (people older than ! Grozny, Ponyatnikva str,. 98 ! Grozny, gor. Mayakovskogo, 140a 70) ! Gudermes, Zheleznodorozhnaya str., 7 ! invalids from birth and ! Gudermes, Depovskaya, 74 those of category I ! orphans between 0 and 14 In the near future the most vulnerable residents from both old and new Collective Centres years will be taken into consideration within the ICRC bread/supplemental ration programme and ! the CC programme will be cancelled. single-parent children between 0 and 14 years Institution Programme ! children between 0 and 14 years from large families This program assists elderly, orphans and disabled people residing in eight social and (to qualify a family need to medical institutions in the republic. The beneficiaries receive 5 kg of wheat flour, 5 kg of beans, 5 kg of potatoes, 2 kg of sugar, 2 l of oil, 200 g of tea and 2 soap bars every month. have 5 or more children between 0 and 20 years) Number of beneficiaries: 583

Chechnya 2

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I N N T E T R E N A R F T I N O A N A A Water and Sanitation Jan-Mar 03 L T

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S station no.1 in Grozny. Since then the residents of the city have been continuously receiving

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R C R O 4 O S S ! S S Heating gas stoves are being installed in schools, medical and social institutions of the tomato paste 0.8 kg republic. ! tinned cheese 0.5 kg ! In January-March 2003 stoves were installed in: clarified butter 0.87 kg ! Grozny City Hospital No 3 ! sugar 2 kg ! Alkhan-Yurt Hospital ! ! Central Mosque of Grozny buckwheat 3 kg ! Grozny Schools No 55 and 44 ! tea 0.5 kg ! Republican Medical College ! Local Branch of the Russian Red Cross ! 2 stoves were given to PINF to be distributed in schools Distribution of water

! 64 297 cubic metres Medical Assistance The ICRC medical programs in Chechnya currently include hospital support and orthopaedic assistance to the civilians affected by the hostilities, together with the Hospitals Assisted reconstruction and support of regional healthcare structures. ! City hospital No 3 (Grozny) As a part of medical assistance, the ICRC supplies ten Chechen hospitals with medicines, materials and medical equipment needed for treatment of the patients. ! City hospital No 9 (Grozny) ! Republican Children Hospital Medical assistance in January-March amounted to 265 103 USD. (Grozny) Within the framework of the orthopaedic assistance program the ICRC provides disabled ! City hospital No 1 (Argun) people with crutches and wheelchairs, supplies equipment to the Grozny orthopaedic centre ! and arranges training for the specialists. Eight Chechen technicians are being trained in the Regional Hospital (Achkhoy- orthopaedic centre in to become qualified prosthesists in order to assist war-related Martan) disabled people. The inauguration of the orthopaedic centre in Grozny run by the Ministry of ! Regional Hospital Labour and Social Development is planned in April 2003. (Gudermes) The first group of students working in Grozny Orthopaedic centre managed to repair ! Regional Hospital 23 prosthetic appliances and produce 18 BK prosthesis. 24 wheel-chairs and 135 pairs of crutches were distributed to the beneficiaries (Urus-Martan) through the assisted hospitals in January-March. ! Regional Hospital (Shali) ! An emergency stock of medicine and surgical equipment that could benefit up to 200 Regional Hospital wounded people is maintained by the ICRC in order to respond to a sudden change of (Nadterechye) security situation. ! Regional Hospital (Kurchaloy) Mine Awareness Programme List of Institutions Through specific educational activities this programme encourages people to realise the Assisted by the ICRC danger and adopt the correct behaviour in mine affected areas. The ICRC is involved in ! collecting data about the mine accidents in order to better understand how people are put at Boarding school for blind risk, what is the correct advice to be given and also to identify those in need of orthopaedic children (Grozny) assistance. To ensure that the information is given and applied in long term, the ICRC works ! Boarding school for deaf- with the key members of the community: religious leaders, teachers and the local media. mute children (Grozny) Chechen State TV Company has finished shooting of five set educational series 'Beware ! School for mentally retarded the mines' upon the request of the ICRC. The series covers the mine issues in the republic children (Grozny) and are broadcast on Chechen State TV and other regional channels. ! Boarding school No 1 for Children are a high-risk group in mined regions and must be taught how to use and pass to orphans (Grozny) the others the information about the threat of mines and UXO. 'Child to child puppet theatre' ! projects being discussed with directors of 15 secondary schools in Grozny. Each second Boarding House for Elderly, issue of the children's magazine 'Rainbow' tell the stories of mine danger in a lively and (Grozny) comprehensive manner. ! Psychiatric Hospital, In January-March the ICRC disseminated 450 issues of "Rainbow" in Chechnya . Achkhoy-Martan (village

1000 schoolchildren from schools of Grozny, Gudermes, Shali and Urus-Martan have Zakan-Yurt) participated in a mine poster competition organised by the ICRC in collaboration with the ! Psychiatric Hospital, Republican Child and Youth Creation Centre. As a result, 80 posters out of 180 admitted for Gudermesskiy region (village the competition were chosen for the "Children' Posters" Exhibition opening April 02 2003. Two best posters will be printed by the ICRC and distributed in schools around republic. Darbankhi) Chechnya 3

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C F I E O D ICRC Operations in Ingushetia in 2003 E T R N A T A I S O L N

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The ICRC assists the Chechen displaced population (IDPs) living in camps, collective centres and T A

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Nazran Food Assistance IDPs accommodated in Ingushetia receive complementary food rations on a quarterly basis. As of May 2003, only the most vulnerable, identified through social welfare criteria will continue to be assisted. The food ration consists of: 1,3 kg of tinned beef, 1 kg of clarified butter, 3 kg of sugar and 0.5 kg of tea. The first round of distribution this year started in February.

Number of beneficiaries: approximately 88 000

Areas of distribution for January-March 2003: ! 14 settlements in Nazraovsky region ! 13 settlements in Malgobeksky region ICRC setup in Ingushetia ! 9 settlement in Sunzhensky region ! Camp 'Bart' Karabulak ! 68 national staff Medical Assistance ! 12 daily workers The ICRC supplies Nazran Republican hospital in Nazran with medicines, materials and medical equipment.

Medical assistance in January-March amounted to 23 532 USD. Two patients were Food Items provided with wheelchairs worth 400 USD. ! 101 256 kg of tinned meat ! 77 889 kg of clarified butter Water and Sanitation ! 233 667 kg of sugar Scare water resource in the republic are not adequate to cope with the additional demand ! 38 945 kg of tea resulting from the presence of the IDPs. Therefore the ICRC provides access to drinking water and hygiene facilities in tent camps, collective centres and private sector Non-Food Items accommodation. ! 59 933 hygiene kits ICRC water facilities serve about 23 400 people on a regular basis. Therefore 17 storage reservoirs and distribution ramps are maintained in order to provide approximately 15–20 lt of water per person daily. Distribution of water

About 20 000 IDPs have free access to warm showers in 13 blocks (138 cabins). ! 8 425 cubic metres ICRC Staff monitors the situation on a daily basis to ensure flexibility and to respond appropriately to the fluctuating needs: summer peaks, rupture of networks, lack of pressure Areas of Water to fill the tanks, etc. The ICRC also co-operates and co-ordinates its activities with NGOs Distribution and local structures in order to facilitate new connection to network and installation of new ! Nazranovsky region facilities. ! Malgobeksky region ! Sunzhensky region ! Co-operation with National Society Karabulak

The ICRC supports various programmes of the regional branch of the Russian Red Cross. ICRC showers ! Camp 'Iman' (Aki-Yurt) Home Visiting Nurses Programme - bedridden elderly persons are regularly visited and taken care of. They receive food parcels once a two months and hygiene kits twice a year. ! Camp 'Alina' (Sleptsovskaya) ! Camp 'Bella-1' (Sleptsovskaya) Number of beneficiaries: 130 ! Camp 'Bella-2' (Sleptsovskaya) Playrooms for children between 3 and 6 are maintained in tent camps. Toys, snacks, homely ! Camp 'Sputnik' environment and professional advice of a psychologist are waiting for kids twice a week. (Sleptsovskaya) ! Number of children: 1332 CC 'Kindergarten', Areas of location: Bella, Sputnik, Alina, Bart camps. (Sleptsovskaya) ! CC 'MTF-2' (Troitskaya) Baby food and baby clothes distribution project has finished in tent camps in February. ! CC 'Goskhoz' (Yandare) 1 332 persons received 11 888 baby food rations. ! CC 'MTF' (Karabulak) ! CC 'Karier' (Karabulak) Recreation centre has opened its doors to the IDPs in Nazran. Newly arranged facilities ! include gym, computer room, language class, library and a rest room. Psychological Camp 'Bart' (Karabulak) counselling is provided to those in need. ! CC 'Podstantsya', Plievo Ingushetia 4

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C F I E O D ICRC Operations in Dagestan in 2003 E T R N A T A I S O L N

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Kizluar Food Assistance

Khasavjurt The ICRC provides hygiene kits every six months to the most vulnerable IDPs selected according to the socio-economic criteria. Re-registration of the IDPs carried out in 2002- Makhachkala Buinaksk 2003 helped to make assistance more focused and efficient. Botlikh Izberbash

The first round of distribution this year started in February. Derbent

Areas of distribution for January-March: ! 10 settlements in Nogaisky region ! 10 settlements in Tarumovsky region ! 3 settlements in Kizlarsky region ! 2 settlements in Baburtsky region ! 7 collective centres in Khasavyurt ICRC setup in Dagestan Medical Assistance ! 10 national staff The ICRC supplies Khasavurt central hospital with medicines, materials and medical equipment.

Medical assistance in January-February amounted to 12 125 USD. One patient was provided with a wheelchair worth 200 USD. Non-Food Items Co-operation with National Society ! 3 933 hygiene kits The ICRC supports various programmes of the regional branch of the Russian Red Cross.

Home Visiting Nurses Programme - bedridden elderly persons are regularly visited and taken care of. They receive food parcels once a two months and hygiene kits twice a year. ICRC hygiene kit content

Number of beneficiaries: 220 ! toothbrush 2 pcs. ! toothpaste 0.2 kg 26 500 hot lunches are being provided to 500 children a school in Novostroy region. ! laundry soap 0.72 kg IDPs who have undergone psychological traumas receive counselling. ! toilet soap 0.72 kg ! washing powder 1 kg Mine Awareness Programme The new puppet theatre show "The Thousandth Jug" has started off in Makhachkala in February. The show is aimed to present mine awareness information to children in a vivid and attractive way. It was staged upon the request of the ICRC in co-operation with Dagestan Republican Puppet theatre.

The story is based on a tradition folk tale about the thousandth jug which can save from evil and bring happiness. Vivid and funny characters tell children about mines and tragic consequences of unreasonable behaviour in mine affected areas. It had great success among schoolchildren and the performances will take place in two mine affected regions neighbouring Chechen republic.

Two posters on mine awareness were printed at Dagestan publishing house. 110 posters were distributed in schools, and local administrations of Novolaksky region.

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C F I E O D Other ICRC Activities E T R N A T A I S O L N

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O 20 visits S S S S Following the agreement with the Russian Government as of March 2000, the ICRC was granted access to all persons deprived of their freedom in relation with the security operation ! 4 visits in Chechnya in Chechnya, disregard of the place of detention.

The humanitarian objective of the visits is to check the conditions of detention. Therefore the Red Cross Messages ICRC delegates regularly visit detainees and all premises of detention places, hold initial and final talks with the authorities, register detainees and have interviews with them in ! 414 messages collected private. Visits are regularly carried out to detention places under the responsibilities of the ! Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice and the Federal Security Service on the 495 delivered territory of the Chechen Republic as well as in the rest of the North Caucasus and the South of Russia. The ICRC detention work is performed on a confidential basis while the observations and IHL Presentations recommendations are presented and discussed with the relevant authorities only. Interior troops Tracing activities Number of presentations: 15 The ICRC monitors the situation of the civilian population in relation to the security Location: operations in Chechnya. The ICRC collects the allegations of arrest of people who have not ! Nalchik reappeared since their arrest and checks if they have been visited in places of detention by ! Krasnodar ! the ICRC delegates. If this is not the case, having obtained detailed information on the Labinsk ! circumstances of the arrest with the permission of the relatives, the ICRC approaches the Armavir ! authorities of the Russian Federation for information on the whereabouts of the arrested Kalach-na-Donu ! person. Mozdok ! Mineralnye-Vody The ICRC also monitors the situation of the Chechen IDPs in Ingushetia to ensure that ! Kropotkin people return to Chechnya on a voluntarily basis and makes representations to the relevant Total number authorities to raise awareness on those issues. of participants: 2 065 All such contacts and representations are made on a bilateral and confidential basis. Border Guard detachment Restoration of Family Links Number of presentations: 2 Persons who have lost contact with their relatives as well as detainees visited by the ICRC Location: are given an opportunity to re-establish contact with their families through the Red Cross ! Vladikavkaz messages delivered by the ICRC directly to the addressees. ! Nazran Total number Regional Social Assistance Programmes of participants: 195 Police training centres The ICRC supports the assistance programmes of the regional branches of the Russian Number of presentations: 2 Red Cross in the South of Russia (, Volgograd, Rostov, Saratov, Krasnodar and Location: Stavropol regions, , Adygea, Karachaevo-Cherkessia) as well as in Kabardino- ! Vladikavkaz (OMON Balkaria and North Ossetia. These include: ! detachment) Home visiting nurses programme for the elderly, providing food parcels once a two ! Pyatigorsk months and hygiene kits twice a year – 1 277 beneficiaries; ! ! Stavropol Psycho-social counselling and legal advice programmes for the IDPs from Total number Chechnya. of participants: 459

Promotion of International Humanitarian Law Military schools Number of presentations: 8 The main objective of this programme is to ensure that key groups among the general Location: public, media, authorities and weapon-bearers have a better knowledge of the basic ! Vladikavkaz (North Caucasus principles of the IHL, of the modalities of the humanitarian action, of the role of the ICRC, the Suvorov's School) Red Cross movement and the RRC. ! Vladikavkaz (RepublicanCadet Boarding School) The network of the ICRC interlocutors among key military structures is properly maintained Total number and the ICRC makes a special effort to directly address troops engaged in the North of participants: 420 Caucasus, particularly in the Chechen republic, in order to integrate essential principles of IHL into the training programme for officers and soldiers at the federal level. Higher Educational Student newspapers are supported to spread information about the ICRC activities and Institutions universities obtain assistance in publications and training for proper teaching of IHL. Number of presentations: 5 The ICRC school education programme is carried out in close co-operation with the Ministry Location: of Education of the RF and its regional agencies. Thanks to this programme basic rules of ! Vladikavkaz the IHL, the norms and the principles of the Geneva Conventions become a compulsory ! Nalchik feature of the curriculum in the secondary schools. It brings attention to the ethical values, Total number such as humanity, responsibility, respect of human dignity, active compassion through the of participants: 420 studies of literature. Other Activities 6