OCHA Situation Report
Chechnya and Neighbouring Republics (Russian Federation)
Report for September 2006
10 November 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

HIGHLIGHTS

Planning 2007 Transitional Assistance in the North Caucasus: On 19 
September, a planning workshop took place in Nazran with participation 
of about 80 officials of the Southern Federal Okrug, the republics of 
the North Caucasus, federal ministries, donors/embassies, as well as 
representatives of UN agencies, NGOs, and the ICRC. The workshop 
discussion centerd on 2007 strategic goals and Sector Working Group 
objectives for humanitarian and recovery assistance under the 2007 
Transitional Workplan for the North Caucasus.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

Protection

As of 30 September 2006, a total of 20,075 internally displaced persons 
(IDPs) from Chechnya (4,614 families) were registered for assistance in 
Ingushetia in the database of UNHCR's implementing partner, the Danish 
Refugee Council (DRC). Of this total, 6,196 (1,397 families) were in 
temporary settlements and 13,879 (3,217 families) in private 
accommodation. During September, Vesta, who monitors the Adler and 
Spartak checkpoints, reported individual returns of 170 families from 
Ingushetia to Chechnya.

On 26 September, the second meeting was held of the Protection Working 
Group under the auspices of the Ombudsman of the Chechen Republic with 
the participation of UNHCR, members of Parliament, representatives of 
the Government and local NGOs, including the UNHCR-supported legal 
counseling centers (LCCs), and representatives of the Council of Europe 
Human Rights Commissioner. The Ombudsman expressed concern about 
violations in the process of compensation payments for lost housing and 
property in the Chechen Republic. The Working Group supported his 
initiative to send a report on the issue to the Chechen Republic 
Parliament and a letter to the Chechen Prime Minister in his capacity of 
the Head of the Compensation Commission.

During September UNHCR interviewed persons (largely residing in 
temporary settlements in Ingushetia and registered with the migration 
service) from a list submitted by the Chechen authorities of 163 IDP 
families reported as willing to return and in need of a box-tent to 
re-establish themselves at their former place of residence or in another 
location in Chechnya. The purpose of these interviews in Ingushetia and 
the screening of addresses in Chechnya was to assess the voluntary 
character of the return and the actual shelter needs of the families. 
Out of these 163 families, 90 were prepared to return voluntarily and 
found in need of temporary shelter, 29 refused to return, and 44 were 
not found in Ingushetia. On 21 September UNHCR began distributing 
box-tents to the 90 families.

During September, the 11 UNHCR-supported LCCs in Chechnya and Ingushetia 
provided 624 consultations to IDPs and other citizens in the two 
republics. This brings the total consultations in 2006 to 5,119. The 
trends previously reported continued, in Chechnya alleged arbitrary 
arrests and forced disappearances as well as property and housing 
issues, and in Ingushetia primarily disputes with the migration services 
regarding de-registration. LCCs also continued to provide legal 
consultations to IDPs from Prigorodny regarding disputed property and 
documentation of former residence. The UNHCR-supported LCCs in Dagestan, 
Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkesia, North Ossetia-Alania, and 
Stavropol territory provided 863 consultations during the month.

As of 30 September, the Migration Department of North Ossetia-Alania 
reported 98 refugees (including 94 from Georgia) and 18,033 forced 
migrants (including 15,825 from Georgia).

With a view to strengthen capacity of the Child Rights Ombudsperson's 
(CRO) offices in the North Caucasus in addressing key child protection 
issues, UNICEF supported a five-day study tour to Austria for CRO from 
the republics of North Ossetia-Alania, Chechnya and Dagestan. The 
participants of the tour had a chance to familiarize with the daily 
activities of the Child Rights Ombudsman of Vienna city, and to engage 
into discussion of those components that can be applicable in their 
work. In parallel, UNICEF also supported participation of the Human 
Rights Ombudsperson for Ingushetia and his consultant in a six-day 
'Monitoring of Human Rights' workshop in Sochi. During the reported 
period, UNICEF also continued, though local implementing partners, to 
organize trainings on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) 
among the Chechen Government officials, including administrations of 
Gudermes and Naurskiy districts, police workers and secondary school 
teachers. A total of 195 participants were covered by the activity.

Shelter

During September, UNHCR provided 60 box-tents to IDP families 
voluntarily returning to Chechnya and 14 in Ingushetia including nine 
for Chechen IDPs, four for Prigorodny IDPs and one for emergency case 
upon the request of the Ingush Government. This brought the total 
distribution since the inception of the program to 2,008 box-tents.

Under UNHCR's 2006 permanent shelter activities for IDPs from Chechnya 
and Prigorodny willing to integrate in Ingushetia, the construction of 
the 20 houses built in self-help reached 80%. Under the "One Warm Dry 
Room" program in Chechnya, 65 houses reached 50% completion and the 
distribution of construction materials began for another 48 houses. 
Following assessments by the Shelter Working Group, winterization 
activities were initiated in temporary settlements hosting IDPs and the 
refurbishing of rooms and communal facilities began in sites in the 
Sunzha and Malgobek districts of Ingushetia.

IRC continued construction works (replacement of roofing sheets, welder 
works, painting, wiring works) in three temporary IDP settlements in 
Ingushetia: Kristall in Nazran, MTF-3 in Kantyshevo and Polonia in 
Sleptsovskaya. In Chechnya, distribution of materials for reconstruction 
of houses to eight households in Alkhazurovo and Prigorodnoye was 
completed. Monitoring of rehabilitation works over 30 houses in 
Oktyabrskiy district of Grozny is ongoing.

In Ingushetia, 38 DRC beneficiary households completed construction of 
foundations, and 20 installed roofs. DRC continued assistance with 
permanent shelter reconstruction in the following Chechen villages: 
Komsomolskoe, Samashki, Michurina settlement, Shaami-Yurt, Yandi, 
Michurino, Zony and Shatoy. In total, out of 244 houses included into 
DRC rehabilitation plan, 240 completed foundations, 186 finished 
wall-laying, and 71 installed roofs. In North Ossetia, out of 56 DRC 
beneficiary households, 43 completed construction of walls, 26 installed 
ring beams, and three installed roofs. In the outskirts of the village 
Krasnogor (Ardon district), DRC finished construction of gas and water 
supply for the refugees in this new settlement.

Food Security and Agriculture

In September, expert field reports and interviews were translated and 
submitted to the VAM experts. A draft of the joint WFP and UNICEF report 
is expected to be released in November.

In Chechnya, over 926 tons of WFP food commodities were distributed by 
DRC, IR and CHA among 83,709 beneficiaries in four districts of Grozny 
City and three other districts of Chechnya covered by the general food 
distribution. In Ingushetia, 12,052 most vulnerable IDPs received 126 
tons of WFP food distributed by DRC and IR. In addition to 10 kg of 
flour and 0.15 kg of salt, as distributed in previous months, in 
September rations also included 1 l of vegetable oil per person.

Some 14 tons of food commodities were distributed to 1,600 beneficiaries 
through the Dining Hall project implemented in collaboration with 
Caritas International and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of 
Chechnya to provide daily hot meals to the neediest residents of Grozny.

10 tons of foodstuffs were distributed through Food for Work to 54 
participants (270 beneficiaries) of four projects completed in Chechnya. 
Within the apple orchard project 50 hectares of land that had been 
neglected for the period of 15 years were restored and cultivated. Over 
26 tons of apples were collected and distributed to 36,136 
schoolchildren in 71 schools (out of 410) covered by Food for Education 
program in Chechnya. Within the vegetable growing project, over seven 
tons of vegetables were produced, collected and distributed to 16 
boarding schools covered by FFE program and 10 social welfare 
institutions in Chechnya.

In the new school year WFP covers 110,617 primary school children in 463 
educational institutions of Chechnya. FFE distribution was conducted in 
late September due to late arrival of food commodities. A total of 656 
tons of food commodities were distributed to provide hot meals to the 
beneficiaries during 46 school days. FFE ration per person per day 
included 100 g of rice/buckwheat, 20 g of sugar, 10 g of vegetable oil, 
2 g of iodized salt and 25 g of HEB. In 16 boarding schools, where 
children stay overnight, in addition to the above ration, the 
beneficiaries received 100 g of wheat flour per person per day.

DRC provided 38,598 basic food rations (20 kg of wheat flour, 1.2 kg of 
sugar, 1 liter of oil, 0.3 kg of salt) to vulnerable residents of 
Chechnya. Under its current school-feeding project, DRC delivered food 
commodities to 26 schools in Itum-Kali, Shatoi and Sharoi districts of 
Chechnya. The ration per student per school day consisted of 50 g of 
rice, 50 g of buckwheat, 50 g of enriched porridge, 10 g of kissel and 
0.2 g of sugar. DRC Field Assistant conducted verification of the actual 
number of schoolchildren in the served schools, which constituted as of 
end of September 3,154 students. The next verification will be conducted 
in late December. DRC continued its Voucher/Cash Transfer pilot project 
in the village of Germenchuk, Shali district, where DRC food aid 
beneficiaries receive cash into their bank accounts instead of monthly 
food rations for the period of July ? September 2006. DRC Assessment, 
Monitoring and Evaluation team monitors the usage of cash monthly. In 
September, the third (and last) installment of cash was transferred, and 
beneficiary's use of the funds was monitored. The data will be analyzed 
in October.

DRC continued to implement agricultural projects in the following 
villages in Chechnya: Duba-Yurt, Goyskoe, Kokadoy, Katar-yurt, 
Komsomolskoe, Michurina, Samashki, Serzhen-Yurt, Shatoy, Shaamy-Yurt, 
Tazbichi, Yandy and Zony. In total, 1,650 hens, 496 sheep, 77 batches of 
construction materials for hen houses, 27,450 kg of fodder for hens, 
3,680 kg of fodder for sheep, 8,280 kg of fodder for cows and 18,700 kg 
of fodder for calves were distributed within the reporting period.

Health

Within its Expanded Program for Immunization in Chechnya and Ingushetia, 
UNICEF organized a 6-week consultancy visit by an engineer experienced 
in cold chain system and vaccine management with the aim to assist MoHs' 
Immunization Programs in strengthening cold chain management in the two 
republics. UNICEF and the engineer will conduct meetings with 
representatives of the Chechen and Ingush MoHs and cold chain managers, 
update and compile inventory of the cold chain equipment and provide 
technical recommendations on strengthening of the cold chain system, 
conduct trainings to cold chain managers, engineers and immunization 
workers.

UNICEF, in cooperation with the Ministries of Health of Ingushetia and 
Chechnya, continued the implementation of its Mother Empowerment 
Program. The project is aimed at raising mothers' awareness on 
breastfeeding, immunization and the early recognition of common 
childhood illnesses. During the reporting period, 352 resident and IDP 
pregnant women, mothers and primary childcare providers in Malgobek 
district of Ingushetia were targeted by UNICEF, through training 
sessions, which were conducted in the premises of the Central District 
Hospital by paediatricians and gynaecologists of the Republican Center 
for Disease Prevention. Every pregnant woman and lactating mother 
attending the sessions received a brochure on breastfeeding. In 
Chechnya, UNICEF's partner (the Republican Children's Policlinic in 
Grozny) reached 295 women.

In the framework of its Young People's Health, Development and 
Participation project, UNICEF continued its cooperation with the Chechen 
and Ingush Ministries of Health, the Achkhoy-Martan District Hospital, 
the 'Association of Women Doctors of Chechnya' (a local medical NGO) and 
the Ingush Republican Policlinic. UNICEF and its partners continued to 
strengthen the work of the three existing Youth Friendly Clinics, which 
are providing access to high quality health services for young people, 
including counseling on reproductive health, family planning and HIV/STI 
prevention. UNICEF continued to work on strengthening young people's 
knowledge on healthy life styles and positive behavior, through 
communication and social mobilization activities as well as information 
campaigns among young people and teenagers, implemented through the 
three Youth Information Centers (YICs) established in partnership with 
the Chechen Ministry for Youth Affairs and the NGO 'Genesis'.

UNICEF also continued to work with two Centers providing psychosocial 
support to people living with HIV/AIDS. Counseling and support were 
provided to 21 HIV-positive individuals and their family members from 
Ingushetia and 39 persons in Chechnya.

WHO provided three one-day training courses on IMCI components for 
health workers in Nazran hospital, Malgobek central district hospital 
and Sunzha central district hospital in Ingushetia. WHO also sponsored 
and facilitated participation of three health managers from the NC in 
the Regional Flagship course on health sector reform and sustainable 
financing in Cheboksary. WHO, MoH of Chechnya and Russian Institute of 
Preventive Medicine carried out a three-day training course in Grozny on 
practical cardio-vascular disease treatment, detection and prevention in 
general medicine practice for 150 physicians and cardiologists, 
including PHC workers and experts from Dagestan, Ingushetia and North 
Ossetia-Alania. WHO initiated a one-month survey on mental 
health/counseling services and situation in selected state health 
facilities as preparation for the implementation of WHO project on 
psychosocial rehabilitation of vulnerable population in Chechnya with 
the main tasks to provide recommendation for WHO opening psychotherapy 
units on the basis of functioning state health polyclinics in Grozny and 
rural area of Chechnya. WHO shared with the health sector partners the 
following information materials: 2007 overview of state health sector 
problems in NC region; 2007 MoH plans for rehabilitation of PHC units in 
Chechnya; the WHO practical tool for the preparation of a hospital 
crisis preparedness plan, with special focus on pandemic influenza, etc. 
WHO also delivered (with WFP support) 9 tons of food commodities to the 
Republican TB hospital in Nazran, Ingushetia. In collaboration with 
MSF-Holland, WFP continued to supply food aid to TB hospitals in 
Chechnya to support 328 in- and outpatients who received a total of 9 
tons of food commodities this month.

Education

On the basis of the information obtained in August, UNICEF and its 
implementing partners developed the precise scope of works endorsed by 
Chechen and Ingush Ministries of Education, and are about to launch the 
actual project, which will be completed by 20 December 2006. A primary 
school in Sharoy, a secondary school no.54 in Grozny and school no.2 in 
Sernovodskaya will be repaired and able to accommodate more children and 
decrease number of shifts from 3 to 2. The rehabilitation of school in 
Sharoy will prevent separation of families as due to the school's 
destruction parents have to send their children to the lowlands to stay 
with the relatives or to the boarding schools where the capacity is very 
limited as well.

In Ingushetia, some 800 IDP children were successfully integrated into 
the mainstream schools. To facilitate the process, UNICEF distributed 
460 sets of school furniture thus increasing physical capacity of local 
schools, and requested the local NGO 'Youth Forum' to conduct additional 
trainings on peace and tolerance building in the hosting schools. Based 
on the information provided by 'Vesta', UNICEF finalized the list of the 
most vulnerable IDP children to benefit from the procurement of school 
uniform and winter shoes in November.

The 25 ECE centers managed by UNICEF continued to provide education and 
care to some 1,250 vulnerable pre-school age children living in rural 
areas of Chechnya. After the first month of classes, the new children 
were closely monitored and tested by the pedagogues, and basic 
observations are as follows: 90% of children do not speak Russian and 
have very basic skills in the Chechen language; most of them have a 
vague understanding of "You can?" and "You can not?" behavioral models; 
logical thinking patterns are very weak, etc. Based on the findings and 
consultations with parents, the teachers are preparing their classes 
according to the individual level of readiness to learn of every child 
attending the center.

DRC distributed stationeries for 18 schools in the Chechen villages of 
Kokadoy, Tazbichi, Grozny, Goyskoye, Goy-Chu, Michurino, Duba-Yurt, 
Shaami-Yurt, Serzhen-Yurt, Samashki, Alkhan-Kala and Katar-Yurt.

Also, PHO equipped computer laboratory and hi-tech Water Quality 
Analysis Laboratory at the Department of Physical Geography and 
Geoecology within the Grozny State University.

IRC continued rehabilitation of primary school no.1 in Staraya Sunzha 
village.

Peace and Tolerance

In mid-September, UNICEF and its implementing partners held an 
evaluation and planning workshop in Pyatigorsk. Partner NGOs ('League 
for Protection of Mother and Child', Dagestan, 'North Caucasus Youth 
Forum', Ingushetia, 'Caucasian Rainbow', North Ossetia and 'SERLO', 
Chechnya) together with UNICEF discussed the progress achieved and 
lessons learnt for 2005 PETB program and agreed on the objectives and 
strategic planning for 2007.

The September edition of Peace newspaper for children and youth in NC 
was equally distributed in four republics, where the participants of a 
Summer camp 'Plus' could share their impressions and views on the 
content of the summer program and relationships they established with 
their peers from neighboring areas. The pedagogues exchange views on the 
perspectives of PE for integration in formal education, and influence of 
Peace education on the children's development. Parents were able to 
compare the behavior of children before and after the training and 
summer camp activities.

Peace Encyclopaedia writing team of experts from five republics are 
finalizing their inputs for the edition and, after the technical 
expertise by MoE, UNICEF is planning to print and distribute it in NC.

Water and Sanitation

UNICEF, through the Polish Humanitarian Organization (PHO), continued to 
produce and distribute safe drinking water from water pumping base K-2 
to hospitals, schools, kindergartens and private users in Grozny. In 
parallel, UNICEF, in partnership with PHO, monitored and supported 
technically the production and distribution of safe drinking water that 
was directly conducted by Grozvodokanal, the public municipal water 
provider, from water base WNS-1. In total, some 117,000 beneficiaries 
have been reached daily. The average daily water production and 
distribution capacity reached 417 cubic metres at K-2 and 295 cubic 
metres at WNS-1. Water was delivered to 243 water distribution points. 
The surplus purified water was carried to additional beneficiaries.

PHO started construction of hygienic points, consisting of showers and 
laundries, in two TACs in Grozny. All hygienic points will have running 
water, heating and electricity and will be connected to sewage system. 
In Grozny, four PHO garbage trucks served around 100 locations, mostly 
in health care facilities, educational facilities as well as TACs and 
removed approximately 2,300m3 of garbage and approximately 210 m3 of 
sewage.

DRC continued the project of water-supply system construction in 
Komsomolskoe village of Chechnya. Agreement between DRC and the local 
administration has been reached, and water will be supplied to the 
reservoir from the natural water spring. 2,500 m trench has been made 
and contractor proceeded to assemble water supply pipe. So far, 500 m of 
pipe have been installed.

IRC continued to provide water and sanitation services to affected 
communities in Ingushetia and Chechnya. In Ingushetia, 3,110m3 of water 
were delivered to 31 spontaneous settlements, 3 points in the private 
sector and 2 public institutions. 1,400m3 of garbage were removed from 
89 spontaneous settlements and 7 public institutions. 1,750m3 of sewage 
were removed from 105 spontaneous settlements. In Chechnya, 7,401m3 of 
water were delivered to 108 water points in Grozny. 25% of all water 
storage tanks were checked daily. 1,560m3 of garbage were removed in 
Oktyabrsky district.

Mine Action

UNICEF, through the 'Voice of the Mountains' (VoM), continued 
strengthening the MRE school course organizing one-day trainings for 
teachers. A total of 116 teachers benefited from the trainings in Grozny 
Rural, Urus-Martan and Achkhoy-Martan districts of Chechnya. In 
parallel, VoM continued to deliver MRE presentations for the affected 
communities of the above-mentioned districts, thus covering some 1,570 
children.

UNICEF organized MRE drama presentations for children living in Vedeno 
and Shatoy districts of Chechnya. A group of 20 children were also 
trained in staging techniques by actors of the State Chechen Drama 
Theatre. Upon receipt of decorations and stage costumes from UNICEF, the 
children will start organizing drama presentations for their peers.

With the aim to further sensitize the mine issue in Chechnya, UNICEF 
together with VoM and the State Chechen Youth Committee, organised a 
one-day "Chechnya without Mines" festival in Grozny. Students of high 
schools and colleges participated in the event, which focused on the 
impact caused by landmines and UXO on civilian population, and 
particularly on children.

Within its survivor assistance program, the UNICEF continued to provide 
children-mine/UXO survivors with prosthetic and orthopaedic appliances, 
in partnership with Grozny's Prosthetic Workshop. A total of nine 
children completed their treatment course within the reported period. 
With a view to improve the physical rehabilitation of children with 
disabilities, a one-month training was organized for three technicians 
from Grozny's Prosthetic Workshop.

At the Psychosocial Center in Grozny, which is supported by UNICEF 
through 'Let's Save the Generation', (LSTG) psychosocial support is also 
being provided to mine/UXO-affected children. Some 40 children from 
Shali district of Chechnya and their caregivers received psychosocial 
treatment through group and individual counseling, music, dance, and 
drawing therapies. UNICEF, in partnership with the Republican Clinical 
Hospital in Grozny, also supported the provision of physical 
rehabilitation to 17 children with disabilities.

In the framework of its activities, aimed at promoting the social 
integration of children with disabilities, UNICEF, through its local 
partner 'Society for the Disabled', continued to support the provision 
of vocational training in tailoring and carpentry to 60 children living 
in Grozny and Achkhoy-Martan district.

Three mobile teams of 11 DDG instructors carried out MRE activities in 
Grozny and Shali district of Chechnya. Special MRE workshops were 
carried out for 1,430 staff of construction companies involved into 
reconstruction of destroyed buildings and roads in Grozny, as 
significant number of mine/UXO incidents happens while clearing 
construction waste in destroyed and abandoned houses. Special booklets 
and posters with warning messages were disseminated among attendants of 
the workshops. DDG resumed school presentations in most mine-affected 
villages of Shali district. Presentations were carried out for 1,008 
schoolchildren of both primary and secondary schools. Booklets and 
brochures with MRE messages were handed to school libraries for "MRE 
Corners" created with the assistance of DDG instructors. In September, 
the total of 3,438 individuals have been instructed by DDG.

No mine/UXO incidents were reported in September.

Funding of Humanitarian Operation

The Financial Tracking System (FTS) database for the 2006 Transitional 
Workplan for the North Caucasus was created in April and is now publicly 
available at: 
http://ocha.unog.ch/fts/reports/reportlist.asp?section=CE&record_ID=714.

>From the date of the last Information Bulletin until the date of this
Bulletin, donors recorded the following new contributions in the FTS:

|------------+----------+------------------+----------+---------|
|Description |Decision  |Donor country     |Appealing |Amount in|
|            |date      |                  |country   |USD      |
|------------+----------+------------------+----------+---------|
|Protection  |30.09.2006|European          |UNHCR     |288,205  |
|programs    |          |Commission (ECHO) |          |         |
|------------+----------+------------------+----------+---------|
|            |          |                  |TOTAL     |228,205  |
|------------+----------+------------------+----------+---------|


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