Danish Refugee Council ASF / Danish People’s Aid North Caucasus Situation Report No. 42 DRC/ASF PROGRAM OF EMERGENCY AND INTEGRATION ASSISTANCE TO THE VICTIMS OF THE ARMED CONFLICT IN CHECHNYA 31 October 2001 Latest developments According to various human rights NGOs and the Chechen Other News Committee for National Salvation, a serious situation has developed in Chechen refugee camps, where tens of thousands of The All-Russia Center for Public refugees will have to spend their third winter in worn-out tents. Opinion Studies (VTsIOM) reported Many tents have no wooden floors and the camps lack beds, on 1 October the results of polls from heating appliances, warm blankets, bedding and other essentials. September 24 and late July. The proportion of Russians supporting The camps are estimated to need at least 2,000 new tents, without armed action in Chechnya has which they may face serious epidemics. In view of this, the increased to 41% from 36% late in Russian political movement "For human rights" has appealed to all July. The proportion of those in favor non-governmental and governmental donors asking for relief aid of negotiations with the Chechen and for help in preparing the tent camps for the coming winter rebels has shrunk to 44% from 53% season. [Interfax] in July. [RIA -Novosti] The RF Presidential aide Sergey Yas trzhembskiy confirmed that Chief of Staff of the UN military observer mission in Abkhazia Laslo Russia supports an initiative put forward by Council of Europe Torok was among the 9 people killed Human Rights Commissioner Alvaro Gil Robles to hold a round- when a Mi-8 helicopter was shot table in Strasbourg to discuss humanitarian issues with down in Abkhazia early on 8 representatives of Chechen diasporas. While appearing at a press October. The helicopter belonged to conference on 2 October, Yastrzhembskiy time stressed that there the Ukrainian "Chaika" enterprise had so far been no talk of including Aslan Maskhadov's envoys. and was rented by the UN mission. According to the presidential aide, the round-table will feature The Abkhazian Foreign Ministry has those people who were present at the discussion in Strasbourg reported that it was Georgian and recently, held under the aegis of a joint State Duma - PACE group. Chechen gunmen, fighting in [RIA-Novosti] Abkhazia, who shot down the helicopter. [Interfax] A Russian plane with up to 78 passengers and crew on board Abkhazia is ready to become a plunged into the Black Sea off Russia on 4 October after an member of Russian Federation and apparent mid-air blast, which President Vladimir Putin said might pass on its protection, the be “a terrorist act.'' In Washington, a U.S. official said the aircraft representative of Abkhazia might have been accidentally hit by a surface-to -air missile fired unrecognized republic to Russian during a Ukrainian military training exercise. Initial reports from the Federation Igor Akhba stressed at Pentagon were that there might have been a launch of a surface- news conference in Moscow on 12 Pentagon were that there might have been a launch of a surface- news conference in Moscow on 12 to -air missile or missiles from the Crimea that might have brought October. He mentioned that down the plane, the official said. [Reuters] Abkhazia never was a part of Georgia, Prime-News correspondent in Moscow informed. Abkhazia had On 12 October, the Council of Europe Secretary General Walter been sovereign republic in USSR Schwimmer announced, that the mandate of the Organization's and then of Stalin's free will it experts working in Chechnya would be prolonged until the end of became the part of Georgia, Igor the year, in agreement with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. Akhba said. [Prime-News] A further prolongation of the experts' mandate would depend on the adequate response by the Russian Prosecutor General's Office On 14 October the President of to complaints of human rights violations registered by the Office of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma admitted Vladimir Kalamanov, the Russian President's Special officially for the first time that the Representative for human rights in Chechnya stressed. Three crash of a Russian airliner in the Black Sea that killed all 78 people on Council of Europe experts have been working in Mr. Kalamanov's board on 4 October was probably Office since June 2000. [Press-Center] caused by a Ukrainian missile that went astray. [Interfax] On 17 October the press secretary of the Chechen Government Alla Vlazneva said that 90 houses, which reconstruction had been Russian presidential envoy in the financed from federal sources, will be handed over to local citizens southern federal district Viktor of Naurskiy and Gudermesskiy Districts of Chechnya in the nearest Kazantsev is expected to meet Akhmed Zakayev, a representative future. The reconstruction works are conducted in close of Chechen separatist leader Aslan cooperation with the houses’ owners, who concluded agreements Maskhadov in Moscow before with constructing companies. Mrs. Vlazneva said that at present 5 October 31. Sources at Kazantsev's polyclinics have recently been under reconstruction in Grozny City, office said on 25 October that initially including one for children, the municipal hospital, the T.B. Grozny, Rostov-on-Don and Moscow prophylactic centre and one medical college. [Infocentre] were considered as possible meeting places. [Gazeta.ru] DRC/ASF Registration Ingushetia According to the latest DRC/ASF survey data as of 30.10.2001, the number of IDPs living in Ingushetia constitutes 147,127 persons. The majority of the IDPs live in Sunzhenskiy District of Ingushetia, neighbouring to Chechnya (52,757 persons). At present the survey data is processed at three DRC/ASF Information Centers (1 in Malgobek, 1 in Sleptsovsk and 2 in Nazran). The database is up-dated fortnightly. For details on registration data, please see Annex 1, Tables 1, 2. Chechnya As of 30.10.2001, the Chechnya population constitutes 789,085 persons, having as many as 135,024 inner IDPs in the area (Annex 1, Tables 3, 4, 5). The Chechnya database is served by 5 DRC/ASF Information Centers (in Urus-Martan, Shali, Gudermes and two in Grozny). Distribution Ingushetia WFP/DRC/ASF Joint Program of Emergency Assistance For the period from 1 up to 31 October 2001, DRC/ASF conducted WFP-funded distributions of flour, sugar and salt to Chechen IDPs living in Ingushetia. As a result, 1,022.25 MT of w/flour were distributed, along with 15.585 MT of salt and 57.653 MT of sugar among about 114,000 IDPs, staying in Karabulakskiy, Malgobekskiy, Nazranovskiy and Sunzhenskiy districts of Ingushetia. From the beginning of WFP distribution on 18 February 2000 and up to 30 September 2001, DRC/ASF distributed in total more than 30,617.67 MT of food to Chechnya IDPs, living on the territory of Ingushetia. (Annex 2, Table 1). DRC/ASF permanent distribution points in Ingushetia: Food rations (WFP items) ü Sugar 0,5 kg per person In Ingushetia, DRC/ASF distributes food commodities through 23 ü Salt 0,15 kg per person distribution points (DP): ü Flour 13,5 kg NAZRAN (7 DPs): Plievo, Nazran City, Altievo, Gamuzi, Barsuki, DRC/ASF warehouse facilities Nasyr-Kort. ü Malgobek (non-food) - 1,098 m2; SUNZHA (7 DPs): Sleptsovskaya, Alkhasty, Galashki, Troitskaya, ü Nazran “Kamaz-Center” - 3,960 m 2; Muzhichi, Nesterovskaya, Chemulga. ü Nazran-3 (food/non-food) – 1,302 m2; MALGOBEK (9 DPs): Psedakh, Sagopshi, Noviy Redant, ü Nazran-4 (non-food/building materials) 2 Zyazikov-Yurt, Voznesenonskaya, Aki-Yurt, – 470 m ; ü Nazran-5 (building materials) – 2,547 Verkhniye Achaluki, Sredniye Achaluki, Nizhniye 2 Achaluki. m ; ü Plievo (food) – 2,750m 2. KARABULAK (1 DP): Karabulak Town and suburbs. Chechnya DRC/ASF Program of Emergency Assistance to the people of Chechnya From 2 to 20 October 2001, DRC/ASF delivered to Chechnya 71 Areas of DRC/ASF food distribution in Chechnya: trucks loaded with WFP food commodities. The total of - ECHO -funded distribution: Urus- commodities, including flour, salt and vegetable oil, were Martanovskiy, Shalinskiy, Kurchaloyskiy, equivalent to 740.935 MT. Since the beginning of the operation of Nozhay-Yurtovskiy, Vedenskiy Districts and 2 IDP camps in Nadterechny WFP distribution in Chechnya, DRC/ASF distributed more than District. 4,311.195 MT of food commodities. (Annex 2, Table 2) - WFP food: Groznenskiy Rural, Achkhoy-Martanovskiy Districts and Staropromyslovskiy District of Grozny Besides, during October 2001, DRC/ASF has been conducting the distribution of ECHO-funded food assistance. Thus, from 1 up to 29 October, there have been delivered to Chechnya 1,780.069 MT of food products (See Annex 2, Table 3). From 8 to 29 October, DRC/ASF conducted in Chechnya distribution of non-food items procured for DANIDA. Please, see Annex 2, Table 4 for details. In the framework of its Shelter Program, from 2 until 31 September, DRC/ASF delivered to the republic of Chechnya 214 trucks with building materials, procured for ECHO and DANIDA. (Annex 2, Table 5). For details on Shelter Program implementation, please, see the section “Shelter Program” below. From 1 until 29 October DRC/ASF delivered to the republic and distributed 126,905 tins of canned beef, provided by the EU. (Annex 2, Table 6). In October 2001, DRC/ASF also distributed 6 sets (children’s socks, jackets and shoes), provided by UNHCR. On 19 October, there were distributed 290 ASF-funded stoves P -4 in Grozny and 80 DANIDA-funded stoves in Argun. Daghestan On 1 October 2001, DRC/ASF delivered to the republic of Daghestan and distributed in four settlements 58,29 MT of food, financed by ECHO. The humanitarian cargo consisted of flour, salt, sugar and oil.