OCHA Situation Report
Chechnya and Neighbouring Republics (Russian Federation)
1 - 15 November 2003


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

I. HIGHLIGHTS
President of Chechnya Completes the Formation of the Government

By mid-November, President of Chechnya Akhmat Kadyrov completed the
formation of the government, which continues to be chaired by Anatoly
Popov. Eli Isayev was appointed First Deputy Chairman of the Government,
retaining the post of the Finance Minister. Other Deputies to Anatoly Popov
included Bilkhis Baidayeva, in charge of social issues, Adlan Magomadov,
Dukuvakha Abdurakhmanov, Movsur Khamidov, responsible for contacts with law
enforcement agencies, and Ziyad Sabsabi, Head of the President's
Administration. Presidential Advisor Abdulkakhir Izraiilov was appointed
Representative for Coordination with International Organisations on
Humanitarian Issues.

United Nations Facilitates Missions to the North Caucasus

>From 3-5 November, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA), in close collaboration with UN agencies, the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and NGOs, facilitated a visit of a donor
delegation including representatives of Germany, Netherlands and Sweden to
Chechnya and Ingushetia. From 10-13 November, OCHA facilitated the first
UN-led media mission to Grozny, as well as to Ingushetia for journalists
from AFP (France) and DPA (Germany) news agencies, and Sky News TV
(Britain). In Chechnya, the delegations visited a temporary accommodation
centre (TAC) and sites where the United Nations and NGOs carry out their
assistance programmes. In Ingushetia, the missions included visits to tent
camps and other places where IDPs reside and to sites where humanitarian
programmes are carried out, as well as meetings with the aid community. In
addition, the donor delegation met the Chairman of the Chechen Government,
Anatoly Popov, and other Chechen and Ingush officials to discuss voluntary
return of IDPs to Chechnya, access for humanitarian organisations to the
republic, security for civilians and aid workers, and other issues.

II. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Protection

As of 15 November 2003, 70,406 internally displaced persons from Chechnya
were registered for assistance in Ingushetia in the database managed by the
Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an implementing partner of the High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Of this total, about 8,500 persons were
registered in four tent camps, some 23,400 persons in temporary
settlements, and over 38,500 persons in private accommodation. From 1-14
November, the Chechen Forced Migrant Committee reported the organised
return of about 1,500 persons from Ingushetia to Chechnya. Of this number,
nearly 700 persons de-registered in Ingushetia and registered for
assistance in Chechnya. In addition, Vesta, a UNHCR NGO partner, which
monitors population movement at Adler and Spartak checkpoints on the
administrative border between Chechnya and Ingushetia, reported individual
return of 114 persons from Ingushetia to Chechnya and no new arrivals from
Chechnya to Ingushetia. During the reporting period, the situation in IDP
camps in Ingushetia was calm and utilities there were functioning normally.

Food

The World Food Programme (WFP), in cooperation with partner NGOs, continued
distributing basic food commodities to about 140,000 beneficiaries in
Chechnya and to all IDPs in Ingushetia. The monthly relief distribution
food basket comprised 10 kg of wheat flour, 1 L of vegetable oil, 0.6 kg of
sugar, and 0.15 kg of salt. In Chechnya, around 65,000 primary school
children in 260 schools benefited from the WFP school-feeding project,
including in two recently added Shalinsky and Urus-Martanovsky raions of
the republic. At the beginning of December, the agency plans to conduct a
security assessment mission in Kurchaloisky raion with a view to launch the
project there as well. In addition, in Chechnya WFP provided food
commodities to 2,500 participants of its food-for-work project. Each of
them received five rations of food for family members.

Shelter

Over the reporting period, 77 persons from IDP tent camp A were
accommodated in temporary settlements in Ingushetia in rooms rehabilitated
mostly by Médecins Sans Frontières - Holland (MSF). At a regular shelter
coordination meeting chaired by UNHCR, DRC, the International Rescue
Committee (IRC), and MSF -- France and MSF - Holland reported that another
220 rooms will be completed in temporary settlements by the end of the
year.

Health

>From 3-4 November in Nazran, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted
a workshop on HIV/AIDS counselling for patients for 17 infectionists,
epidemiologists, and medical workers from AIDS centres, as well as
psychologists from selected NGOs from Chechnya and Ingushetia. On 10
November in Shali (Chechnya), WHO launched the second round of the Training
on Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses for 20 local health
professionals. In addition, WHO provided 2,500 condoms to the Republican
AIDS center in Grozny under its programme "Prevention of HIV
Mother-to-Child Transmission." The UN Children's Fund completed the
distribution of sets of 20 essential medical consumables to four
paediatric, 17 antenatal, and two maternity centres in Grozny, as well as
to district paediatric and maternity hospitals in three raions of
Ingushetia. UNICEF continued promoting better health practices related to
childhood illnesses, hygiene, breastfeeding, and immunisation under its
Mother Empowerment Programme in Chechnya and Ingushetia. It started,
together with the Hammer Forum (HF), half-day sessions on basic skills in
child care for four groups of 10-12 pregnant women, mothers of children
under five, and other care providers in Bart camp in Ingushetia.

Education

UNICEF completed an assessment of IDP schools in tent camps and spontaneous
settlements in Ingushetia, which showed that the number of children
attending these schools is decreasing due to the steady return of displaced
families to Chechnya. As of 15 November, there were 55 IDP schools in
Ingushetia, with over 7,715 children enrolled. Compared to figures a month
before the number of pupils decreased by 177. In Chechnya, UNICEF continued
supporting school rehabilitation activities in order to increase access to
education for conflict-affected children. The agency, together with the
People in Need Foundation (PINF), was rehabilitating three schools and two
kindergartens, which will enrol up to 2,700 children. With support from
UNICEF, PINF organised extra-curricular activities in six schools, which
had already been rehabilitated. There are 18 clubs and sport sections in
these schools attended by 500 children and adolescents.

Water and Sanitation

UNICEF, together with the Polish Humanitarian Organisation (PHO), continued
providing drinking water to hospitals, schools, and residential areas of
Grozny with an average daily capacity of 533 m(superscript: 3) (enough for
over 35,000 people). In addition, UNICEF and PHO provided for garbage and
sewage disposal with and average daily capacity of 56 m3 and 10 m3
respectively. UNICEF, together with the Ingush and Chechen sanitary
epidemiological services and ministries of education, was preparing
workshops on hygiene and sanitary education targeting 35,000 schoolchildren
at 49 schools in Grozny and 18 schools in IDP settlements in Igushetia.

Mine Action*

The Voice of the Mountains (VoM), a UNICEF partner, reported the first
results of an assessment of the mine risk education (MRE) course in 13
schools in Chechnya, which showed that several schools had not received the
planned number of MRE books and that in three schools MRE lessons had not
been conducted regularly. The NGO already responded to the results
launching a new distribution of MRE books. In the reporting period, VoM
conducted MRE sessions for about 800 schoolchildren in Chechnya. The
Chechen State Drama Theatre gave four UNICEF-sponsored MRE performances for
inhabitants TACs in Grozny. UNICEF, together with CARE Canada, continued
providing psychosocial counselling to children -- victims of accidents with
mines and unexploded ordinance (UXO) and their parents in Grozny. Another
group of heavily traumatised children, identified by the New Education NGO,
started attending the Medial Psychological Centre in Valdikavkaz for
medical examination and psychosocial counselling.

Note:* Mine action in this report refers to one or a combination of the
following activities: mine awareness, victim assistance, and vocational
training.

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