Ingushetia Situation Report No. 15
Latest developments 1. One of the top Chechen warlords has been captured by the Russian Intelligence Service in Chechnya.
2. Russian Acting President Putin rules out talks with Chechen fighters.
3. United Nations Human Rights Commission is urged to get tough on abuses in Chechnya.
4. Russia warns of Chechnya trip ban if expelled from Council of Europe.
5. A Salvation Army shipment arrived in the Chechen capital of Grozny a few days ago.
1. Russia has captured one of the most wanted Chechen warlords, Salman Raduyev, and taken him to Moscow. Raduyev led a mass hostage-taking raid on the neighbouring Russian republic of Dagestan in January 1996 when his unit took about 150 hostages at a hospital in the town of Kizlyar, were encircled by Russian troops in the village of Pervomaisk but fought their way out and escaped back to Chechnya. Raduyev is respected by some Chechens partly because he is a relative of the late president, Dzhokhar Dudayev, who was killed by a Russian missile in 1996. He is the most high-profile figure yet captured by Russian forces in Chechnya.
2. Acting President Vladimir Putin on March 17 firmly ruled out talks with Chechen guerrillas. "Holding talks with the bandits would effectively mean the same as pulling our troops out of Chechnya. We did that before...and it was a major mistake. We cannot allow ourselves to do this. There will be no more experiments of this kind with Russia" said Putin. At the same time the Chechen separatist leader, Aslan Maskhadov, repeated his call for negotiations to end the fighting. "To stop the war I am ready to speak to anybody, including Putin. But this is most unlikely to happen," said Maskhadov, believed to be hiding in Chechnya's mountainous south.
3. A prominent human rights organization urged the U.N. Human Rights Commission on March 17 to put aside political considerations and get tough on abuses in Chechnya. Reports of human rights violations in the region are expected to cast a long shadow over the session of the 53-nation Rights Commission which opens Monday and runs through April 28. UN human rights chief Mary Robinson is going to visit Russia, including a trip to Chechnya starting March 31. It is expected that the visit will provide impetus for the Commission to take up human rights issues there. Robinson and other international officials have protested the large number of civilian casualties in Russia's campaign against Chechen rebels, and have called for independent investigations into alleged torture and other abuses. Russia has denied the allegations.
4. On March 17, Moscow warned that Council of Europe delegations would be banned to go to Chechnya if Russia is excluded from the CE membership. "If we are excluded, we will no longer be able to hold a dialogue with the Council of Europe, and experts from the Council will no longer be able to visit Chechnya" said Sergei Yastrzhembsky, the Kremlin's chief Chechnya spokesman. A statement from the Council, meanwhile, confirmed that Russia's special representative for human rights in Chechnya, Vladimir Kalamanov, would visit the body next week. Kalamanov is expected to meet with the Council's Secretary General, Walter Schwimmer, to discuss the possible incorporation of European human rights experts in a Russian office due to open shortly in Chechnya. The office is intended to handle complaints from Chechen civilians against mistreatment and human rights violations by Russia troops.
5. A Salvation Army shipment arrived in the Capital of Grozny a few days ago. The aid program is run by Canadian SA Captain Geoffrey Ryan. He says security is a big concern for aid workers. In Chechnya SA was provided with security by the federal troops. One of the official invitations to come in was sent by the commandant of the Grozny region. He provided a couple of trucks with guns mounted on them and a detachment of soldiers that accompanied SA around. Ryan says Grozny is a scene of utter devastation. The Salvation Army has two teams now working in Chechnya delivering aid. According to some estimates, 20 to 60 per cent of the aid sent to the region is stolen by criminals or the Russian military. But Ryan says because the Salvation Army controls the aid from start to finish he is confident that food and medicine is reaching those who so desperately need it.
Distribution
DRC Emergency Assistance Project
In the period from 11/03 to 18/03, DRC field workers conducted distributions of ECHO, UNHCR winter clothing, UNHCR soap and UNHCR children’s tights for IDPs living in with host families in Ingushetia.
Date of Location/ Type of Number of Number of Number of soap Number of distribution Settlement settlement winter boots winter jackets distributed children’s tights distributed distributed distributed
11/03 Mayskoye host family IDPs 2966 (ECHO) 1054 (UNHCR)
12/03 Nazran City host family IDPs 24209 (ECHO) 24010 (UNHCR) 3150 (UNHCR) 13/03 329 (UNHCR) 15/03 16/03 18/03
TOTAL 4020 24538 24010 3150 Total number of winter clothing distributed by DRC in Ingushetia so far:
Winter coats - 128,621
Winter boots - 80,788
Registration
As mentioned earlier (see DRC sitrep 14), a follow-up registration to the DRC IDP database project took place from 22 to 29 February that, inter alia, allowed for corrections of mistakes that had occurred in the first preliminary version of the database. After the information collected during the additional registration had been processed, it appeared that the total number of IDPs from Chechnya in Ingushetia increased significantly and by late February had arrived at 213,821 instead of the originally registered 186,149 IDPs. Below is some statistical information extracted from the database on IDPs in Ingushetia based on the February 29 up-dated figures.
A total of 23,009 IDPs from the Prigorodny District (North Ossetia-Alania) and 5 IDPs from Daghestan were registered in Ingushetia during the process. Thus, the total number of IDPs (from Chechnya, North Ossetia and Daghestan) in Ingushetia is 236,835.
Time of arrival of IDPs from Chechnya in Ingushetia
September 1999 94,546
October 1999 84,588
November 1999 19,065
December 1999 5,948
January 2000 5,546
February 2000 4,128 The male part of the IDP population from Chechnya amounts to 98,368, while the female part consists of 115,453 persons. Children 0 -16 years of age, (born from 1984-2000): boys 44,224, girls 43170. Elderly 60+: Men 5,336, women 9,283.
With regard to ethnic affiliation, 196,987 persons are Chechens (92,1%), 15,726 are Ingush (7,4%), 682 Russians (0.3%) and 426 other groups (0.2%). With regard to religious affiliation, 213,392 are Muslims (99.8%), 426 are Christians (0.2%), while 3 (0.0%) are Jews.
The database includes information on certain vulnerable groups including pregnant and lactating women (3,243), infants 0-12 months (5,177), children 12-36 months (12,073), IDPs with mental/physical handicap or disease (4,380), elderly 65+ (9,605), children up to 14 without adequate family/social support (1,569) and single-parent families (3,222).
The IDP database is already available on a searchable CD-ROM and has been provided to 15 international agencies and NGOs.
DRC has finished registration of host families (HF) in Ingushetia. A total of 12,711 HFs have been registered. Out of them 10,384 HFs do not charge IDPs for provision of the accommodation. DRC is preparing to expand its logistics operation in Ingushetia also to cover host families. Each family will receive the food ration also provided to the IDPs. The families will receive food in quantities for 6-7 persons, no matter the number of host family members. The food will be distributed to the host families at the distribution points in conjunction with the distribution of food for the IDPs. At each FDP the host family beneficiaries will receive their rations just after the distribution for IDPs have been concluded. UNHCR is now providing food for distribution among host families through DRC and discussions with the Ingush authorities are being carried out on the technical modalities.
Inter-Agency Issues
On March 13, the Deputy Minister of EMERCOM - Ingushetia, Mr. Zinedy Movlanov, who is in charge of the Chechnya IDPs’ issues, visited DRC FO in Nazran. He was briefed on the current results of the DRC on-going Program of Emergency Assistance to IDPs from Chechnya, and promised, on his part, to support the future DRC activities concerning both Ingushetia and in Chechnya.
On March 14, an Inter-Agency meeting took place at DRC FO Nazran. MDM, MSF - H, MSF - B, MCI, ARD (Holland), Salvation Army, DRC, Islamic Relief, Stavropol Human Rights Center participated in the discussion of co-ordination issues. Grozny Region and Alkhan-Kala Heads of Administrations were present at the meeting. They informed the participants about the living conditions in these areas. There are 38 villages in Grozny Region and the village of Alkhan-Kala itself numbers 12,700 inhabitants. MSF - H informed the participants about the distribution of medical kits consisting of basic drugs, dressings, suture, syringes, etc. in the clinics of Ingushetia. Islamic Relief is working in three directions: food, water-supply and medicine. IR covers 25,000 IDPs by distributing food items 4 times a month. Shortly IR is to start working in Nazran Region (excluding Nazran City and municipal district that is covered by DRC) where it is planned to deliver flour, sugar, rice, pasta, canned meat, milk powder, candles and matches. IR bought 4 ambulance vans and is waiting a drug cargo from Moscow.
On March 17, the Deputy Minister of EMERCOM - Ingushetia, Mr. Ruslan Koloyev, held a meeting with NGO representatives working in Ingushetia who reported on their activities in the area.
ICRC was about to finish the distribution cycle of food items in Malgobek Region and start deliveries of supplementary food parcels in Nazran District. ACF covered 1,440 IDPs in Assinovskaya village and were to spread their activities to cover also the town of Sernovodsk (both located in Chechnya). UNHCR briefed the meeting on problems faced by IDPs willing to return, i.e. absence of legally issued IDs prevents the displaced, especially youngsters, to go back to Chechnya.
The Deputy Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation in Chechnya, Mr. Nickolai Vasyutin, who also occupies a position of the Head of the Department on IDPs, informed the meeting that the population in Chechnya would receive temporary IDs (valid for a period of 1-3 months). According to him, the Government of Chechnya received 100 000 passports to be given out after a personality identification and clearance procedure. Mr. Vasyutin encouraged NGOs to provide humanitarian assistance to people in Chechnya, stressing that currently there is a great need in food, clothing, hygienic items, medicine. The Deputy provided the meeting with some official figures on IDPs in Chechnya: Location Number of people
Nadterechny district 25,462
Naursky district 5,838
Shalinsky district 20,315
Grozny-Selsky district 12,735
Urus-Martan district 20,154
Achkoy-Martan district 12,324
Gudermes district 10,650
Argun town 4,962
TOTAL 112,440 According to Mr. Vasyutin, the total population in Chechnya is 250,300 persons (including persons internally displaced within the republic). The Deputy Prime-Minister of Ingushetia, Mr. Yusupov, who was also present at the meeting, brought on light on the achievements reached by DRC in Ingushetia and officially recommended to the meeting to co-operate "with the one of the largest NGOs in Ingushetia."
Maria Gozdetski, a representative of the Polish Humanitarian Action, on March 18 paid a visit to DRC Nazran Office. According to her, she’s heard about the DRC’s achievements in the area and wanted to learn more on the DRC system of distribution in Ingushetia. Mrs. Gozdetski was given a copy of the DRC database compact disk.
On March 18, the Russian Red Cross (RRC) Coordinator, Mr. Yuri Filatov, had a meeting with the DRC FO Nazran Coordinator, Mr. Kharon Deniev. The Red Cross representative informed the above on the RRC’s activities in Ingushetia and asked about the information on the number of families in each settlement of Ingushetia. This information which will be submitted by DRC FO Nazran for the RRC’s attention will be used for distribution of family food parcels.
The DRC FO Nazran Coordinator, Mr. Kharon Deniev, on March 15 participated in an NGO Coordination Meeting organized by the Ingush Deputy Prime-Minister, Mr. Viskhan Yusupov, who, at the same time, has recently been appointed to the post of the Head of Commission on IDP/Refugee Affairs attached to the Ingush Government. In his introductory speech Mr. Yusupov appreciated the DRC’s activities in Ingushetia, underlining its support of the Ingush IDPs from the neighbouring Prigorodny District (North Ossetia), who became victims of the 1992 ethnic conflict and found refuge in the Ingush Republic and encouraged representatives of the present international NGOs to render assistance to this, so called, "forgotten" category of the displaced in Ingushetia. DRC is the only organization which targets also IDPs from Prigorodny. The meeting was also informed about the decision of the Russian Federal Government to transfer funds to Ingushetia for support of the Ingush families hosting the IDPs. The amount of 60 mln. Roubles have already been transfered. The President of Ingushetia, Mr. Aushev, has issued an order aiming at setting up a payment system for the host families to ease their burden. The Deputy Prime-Minister also briefed the participants of the meeting about the plans of the Ingush Government to open 2 new camps on the border between Chechnya and Ingushetia for housing of some of those IDPs presently living with host families. The expected capacity of the 2 camps is approximately 20 000 IDPs.
The regular Inter-Agency meeting was held at DRC FO Nazran on March 21. Among the participants there were representatives of MDM, MCI, ACF and DRC. Some of the other usual attendants of the Inter-Agency meetings were in Chechnya on that day.
ACF is busy with provision of flour, oil, rice, canned meat, sugar, soap (laundry and toilet one). After the on-going registration of beneficiaries in Assinovskaya is over, ACF will start delivering relief items for the newly identified IDPs. Later ACF plans to focus its attention on the town of Sernovodsk. The program in the mentioned settlements is expected to run for 3 months. MDM has launched a new program on rehabilitation of teenage population in the camp "Bart" (Karabulak town). It’s implemented by psychiatrists, therapists and psychologists. MDM sent 500 vaccine doses of syringes and needles to Sernovodsk as there is a measles outbreak in that area. MDM has also delivered drugs and medical kits to Argun, St. Sunzha, and to clinics and hospitals of Shali Region. Three MDM medical points are working in "Severny", "Sputnik" and "Bart" camp settlements.
Stavropol, 21 March 2000. For further information, please contact:
Country Program Manager Tom Trier 8652 - 919 047 Inter-Agency Officer Zelim Yandarov (8) 901 - 498 08 24
DRC North Caucasus Ul. Lenina 458/210 355 029 Stavropol Tel. +7 8652 94 39 97 Russian Federation
ATTACHMENT
Total number of non-food items distributed by DRC’s direct distribution system in Ingushetia so far:
Winter coats 128,621
Winter boots 80,788
Children’s pants 226
Children’s tights 8292
Soap 118,902
Laundry powder 11,158
Tooth pastes 7,481
Jerry cans 8,968