Action by Churches Together (ACT) Appeal - Russian Federation - North Caucasus North Caucasus Crisis - Emergency Relief for Displaced - EURU91 Appeal Target : US$ 1,264,498 Geneva, November 5, 1999
The current ongoing crisis in the North Caucasus is another humanitarian disaster urgently needing international humanitarian response to assist the thousands of people who have fled Chechnya where the fighting is mainly concentrated in the capital city of Grozny. Over 200,000 people are reported to have fled to the neighboring Ingushetia with others to Daghestan and North Ossetia. Inside Chechnya, over 170,000 are reported to be internally displaced with more people trying to get out to join those in Ingushetia. The displaced families, both inside and outside Chechnya, are living under terrible conditions, suffering from lack of shelter, food, water, medical care and winter clothing. Any further delay in issuing humanitarian aid to the IDPs could result into a high mortality rate especially with the winter now starting. The two ACT Members in the Appeal, Hungarian Interchurch Aid and the Russian Orthodox Church, wish to respond to the extent possible by providing food parcels, blankets, clothing and baby formula foods to about 15,000 people in the three regions of Ingushetia (9,730), North Ossetia (1,270) and Stavropol (4,000). The total amount for this appeal is US$1,264,498. In implementing the programme, ACT/HIA-ROC propose to work together with other local partners on the ground whom they have had an experience working with in the previous appeals in the region. Please kindly send your contributions to the ACT bank account. We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit an application for EU funding, and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation. For further information, please contact: ACT Coordinator, Miriam Lutz (phone 41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6040) Ms. Genevieve Jacques Miriam Lutz Rev. Rudolf Hinz Director ACT Coordinator Director WCC/Cluster on Relations LWF/World Service ACT/HIA/ROC PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE IN NORTH CAUCASUS REQUESTING ACT MEMBER Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) and Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) IMPLEMENTING AGENCY Hungarian Interchurch Aid and Russian Orthodox Church in cooperation with the local staff of previous ACT/HIA/ROC programs. HIA and ROC started with their common project implementation in April 1995 by taking part in an ACT-project and opening a field office in Daghestan. In June 1995 a new office was opened in Grozny, Chechnya. These programs lasted till October 23, 1997 when two colleagues of HIA were kidnapped in Grozny. The next stage of the cooperation was the common participation in ACT-appeal EURU81 (North Caucasus Program) in Stavropol region and Chechnya with having an office in Pjatigorsk that was opened on January 17, 1997. In the framework of ACT-appeal EURU82 (Russia Winter Assistance Program) ACT/HIA/ROC operated five soup kitchens in four towns (Moscow, Klin, Novosibirsk and Zheleznovodsk) in Russia. This part of the program was closed on October 10, 1999. Due to previous ACT/HIA/ROC programs in North Caucasus region and the good co-operation between the ACT-members and their local network, the infrastructure of local staff can be utilised as a good basis for project implementations. In the framework of ACT/HIA/ROC Russia Winter Assistance Program (EURU82) ACT/HIA/ROC was presented in Zheleznovodsk, Stavropol region till October 10, 1999, where a soup kitchen for refugee and IDP-children was operated. The ACT/HIA/ROC Office (EURU81) in Pjatigorsk was closed in March 1999 but its local staff showed its willingness for participation in a new project together with the local staff of the Grozny and Khasavjurt office. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION Background The current conflict in North Caucasus started in the second half of August 1999 when Islamist military units invaded Southern parts of Daghestan - one of the member republics of the Russian Federation. Moscow's reaction to this was military intervention to stop the Islamists. Due to these activities and further prompted by bombing attacks (speculated by some to be linked to Chechen Islamists) in several parts Russia, the Russian government closed the borders to Chechnya and started air strikes against targets in Chechnya. Ground troops were subsequently sent into Chechnya to, reportedly establish a security zone to prevent Chechen militants from invading other regions in southern Russia. Current Situation As Russian airforce, artillery and infantry stepped up attacks on Chechen position, towns and villages, Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said Russian forces would eventually attempt to occupy and control the whole of Chechnya. The military activities have prompted at least 300.000 civilians to flee Chechnya. The majority of the refugees are pensioner, women and children. Relief efforts for the cold and hungry IDPs are inadequate. There is a lack on shelters, warm clothing, food and medical care. The border between Chechnya and Ingushetia has been closed since October 23, 1999 with only exceptional chances for civilians to escape through the borders and frontlines. Ingushetia Till 1991 Ingushetia and Chechnya formed a common republic, called Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic. Most of the refugees (as being Muslims) headed to the neighboring republic, one of the poorest republics of Russia and whose 300,000 residents have ethnic ties with Chechens. Ingushetia is the only region adjacent to Chechnya that is officially allowing refugees to enter with few restrictions. According to the data of the Ingush government there were 163,000 IDPs in the territory of the republic on October 9, 1999, from them 146,000 arrived from Chechnya. The estimated number of IDPs is more than 200,000. Beside Muslims IDPs are ethnic Russians, Armenians, Germans and Jews. The IDP's majority stays at host families. Displaced Chechens are staying in seven camps in the Sunzhensky, Malgobek and Nazran districts of Ingushetia. Russian EMERCOM plans to establish tent camps and use wagons to provide them with accommodation. EMERCOM, Russian Migration Service, the Government of the Ingush Republic and the local administrations are responsible for the camps. Local administrations organize the distribution of bread. According to the Ingush president's statement the local hospitals cannot provide the sick refugees with medical aid, children sleep on the ground and have very few warm clothes. According to the information gained on field there are eight refugee camps in Ingushetia, UNHCR provides assistance in three of them in Nazrany and Karabulak. The wagoon camp is Ordzhonikickaya is the largest one with 5,500 beneficiaries. EMERCOM plans to open 10 more camps for 5,000 IDPs. Unfortunately EMERCOM is unable to provide food distributions. Only some Russian regions have sent humanitarian assistance. North Ossetia Since the beginning of the fights 500 families (appr. 3,000 IDPs) have registered in North Ossetia. Appr. 12,000 IDPs stay at Mozdok, at the Chechen. At Mozdok there are two refugee camps that give shelter for 400 IDPs. The rest of the IDPs stays at host families. They are mainly Christians (Ossets, Chechens and Russians). Previously 14,000 IDPs arrived to the republic as a result of the military conflict with Ingushetia in 1992 and the Chechen conflict in 1994-1996. In this republic the level of humanitarian assistance is lower than in Ingushetia. Only some Russian NGOs and the Army provides some kind of assistance (blankets and medicines). The authorities provide only buses for the IDPs. UNHCR is not active in the republic. Daghestan According to the situation on October 9, 1999 there are 32,000 IDPs in Daghestan. Only 2,000 Chechens have been registered as officially the border is closed. The other 30,000 IDPs came from Western Daghestan, where the fights started. The majority of the IDPs is Chechen and Daghestani. They stay at host families, pioneer camps and boarding schools. Due to the fights 8 villages were totally destroyed. In 9 villages there is no electricity. Stavropol region In the territory of Stavropol region there are 250,000 long term IDPs, of whom 84,000 came from Chechnya during the previous war in Chechnya. Among them there are Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, Jews, Armenians, Chechens and other ethnic groups who left Chechnya during the 1994-1996 war or later. Since the beginning of the fights, 5,000 IDPs new have been registered. One must underline that due to the military events it became very difficult for the IDPs to make themselves registered and they decided to do so very rarely as well. Beside this fact in the summer the procedure and rules of registration have been changed. According to the information received from local NGOs, possibly as many as 20,000 IDPs has arrived from Chechnya to Stavropol over the last months. The IDPs coming to Stavropol do not hope that they will ever have the opportunity to return to Chechnya, they try to settle in this region. Georgia According to border service officials in Tbilisi, some hundreds of refugees from southern Chechnya had crossed into the country denying assurances from Russian border guards that Chechens were being kept inside the international border. According to the information received from the crisis zone beside EMERCOM, Emergency Situations Ministry only UNHCR, ICRC and Caritas of European Russia provides some assistance for the IDPs. While UNHCR operates mainly in Ingushetia, Caritas is active in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia. EMERCOM runs five camps and a wagon camp in Nazran and Karabulak, Ingushetia. Federal agencies were sending field hospitals, tents, blankets and small gas and wood-burning stoves suitable for large canvas tents. There is a camp in Chechnya, in Stanica Suzenskaya at the Chechen-Ingush border as well. Till November 2 UNHCR sent four convoys to Ingushetia. Description of Damages In Chechnya gas has been cut off, electricity supplies reduced and thousands have fled. The shelling has distroyed apartment blocks, bridges (across the Argun River, the Terek River and Dzalka River), dams, roads, television stations, mobile-phone relay station, oil refineries, reservoirs, brick factories and an airport in Khankala. Chechnya's only operating thermal power plant, located on the Argun River, 15 kms east of Grozny, has been destroyed as well. The cost of damage runs up into billions of dollars and creates problems for winter in term of energy provision, as vital energy-generating sources have been destroyed. Locations For ACT/HIA/ROC Proposed Response After taking the security conditions into consideration ACT/HIA/ROC suggests that in the crisis zone (Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan) the opening of a permanent office and so a continuos presence is not advisable. Because of security reasons and taking the staff's safety into consideration, HIA suggests the opening of its field office in Stavropol, which is only 300 km far from Grozny, 200 km from Vladikavkaz and Nazran. Stavropol has its own airport, railway station that are open for civil purposes as well. The transportation from here can be solved on road with the cooperation of the respective Russian authorities into the crisis zone. Current Security Situation Due to heavy military operations the level of danger has further increased. Ingushetia, Ossetia and Dagestan are the military springboards and supply routes of the Russian Army. The airports in Vladikavkaz and Nazran are closed for civil purposes. In the current situation a heavy military presence of the Russian army can be expected that may further increase in the near future. Due to this fact the probability of any direct violent atrocities (kidnapping) against the staff of NGOs has been reduced. The participation of the local Russian authorities has to be asked for allowing cars through the different military checkpoints, for providing convoys and military escort for the delivery of relief items. Hereby ACT/HIA/ROC wishes to underline its suggestion for opening a field office in Stavropol. Further conditions that influence the security conditions of the project implementation: Military activities and the probability of their escalation in the region. In this case the army can close boarders, registration procedure for foreigners might be made more difficult. In the case of an evacuation it could be solved by plane or road. It means the necessity for integrating into the alarming system of UNHCR. Russian internal politics. Russia is before parliamentary elections that are due in December 1999. Boris Elsine's health has a key effect on the political developments. His leaving the power could create unforeseeable consequences on the events. Reaction and behaviour of the local military and interior corps. PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES During the program implementation ACT/HIA/ROC wishes to provide immediate humanitarian assistance by sending relief items to the IDPs in North Caucasus. The rapid response of ACT/HIA/ROC will contain: Distribution of basic food items Distribution of blankets Distribution of winter clothes Distribution of baby formula During the project implementation ACT/HIA/ROC wishes to distribute for the beneficiaries of the program monthly 1 kg flour, 1 l cooking oil, 1 kg sugar, 1 kg buckwheat, 1 kg milkpowder, 1 kg macaroni and 1 pack of tea. The distributions will be carried out in: Kantyshevo camp (between Nazrany and Kantyshevo village, Ingushetia) Akijurt camp (Ckalovo village, Ingushetia) Sputnik camp (Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Ingushetia) Severny camp (Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Ingushetia) Mozdok (North Ossetia) Pjatigorsk (Stavropol region) Mineralniye Vodi (Stavropol region) Objectives As the majority of the IDPs left their homes without everything by providing food items ACT/HIA/ROC intends to avoid their starvation. By distributing blankets and winter clothes to avoid the beneficiaries' freezing in the winter. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES By providing immediate humanitarian assistance ACT/HIA/ROC wishes to target the following number of IDPs in the region: Ingushetia 600 IDPs Kantyshevo camp (between Nazrany and Kantyshevo village, Ingushetia) 1,630 IDPs Akijurt camp (Ckalovo village, Ingushetia) 2,400 IDPs Sputnik camp (Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Ingushetia) 5,100 IDPs Severny camp (Ordzhonikidzevskaya, Ingushetia) Subtotal: 9,730 North Ossetia 1,270 IDPs in Mozdok Stavropol region 2,000 IDPs in Pjatigorsk 2,000 IDPs in Mineralniye Vodi Subtotal: 4,000 Total number of targeted beneficiaries: 15,000. According to the data received from ACT/HIA/ROC's local staff on the fields in Ingushetia from the targeted 9,730 IDPs 1,459 are men (15%), 3,892 women (40%) and 4,379 children (45%). PROPOSED EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION During the project implementation ACT/HIA/ROC wishes to distribute On a monthly basis some basic food items for 15,000 IDPs having found shelter in Ingushetia, North Ossetia and Stavropol region Monthly 8,700 baby formula 15,000 blankets for the IDPs 5,000 winter coats 9,000 children's clothing ACT/HIA/ROC wishes to reach the beneficiaries of its program in the refugee camps. All the required items for Ingushetia and North Ossetia will be procured in the local markets, mainly in Stavropol or Krasnodar region. Although food items are available in Ingushetia but there their procurement is more expensive and complicated as they are delivered from Stavropol and Krasnodar region. Procurements will be done locally according to ACT Procurement Policies. Because of the secure implementation of the transports ACT/HIA/ROC will inform the local military and the corps of the Interior Ministry and ask them to ensure convoys and suitable escort for them. The distributions will be carried out in the presence of the representatives of the local authorities and parishes. The program will be directed from ACT/HIA/ROC Stavropol Office that will function as headquarter and will be in regular touch with the local staff on the fields in Ingushetia and North Ossetia. PROJECT ADMINISTRATION, FINANCE, MONITORING, REPORTING The project will be directed by the Program Director, Hungarian expatriate, delegated by HIA. The Office Director, delegated by ROC will support him. ACT/HIA will delegate a second member of its staff to the region that will be responsible for Financial Coordination. Due to previous ACT/HIA/ROC programs in North Caucasus region and the good co-operation between the ACT-members and their local network, the infrastructure of local staff can be utilized as a good basis for project implementations. Local staff will be responsible for logistics and will work directly in field. They will be in a permanent contact with ACT/HIA/ROC Stavropol Headquarter. Because of the war situation ACT/HIA/ROC considers unavoidable to have a facilitator in Moscow who cooperates and coordinates with the respective Russian authorities, ministries to receive various permissions and licenses. ACT/HIA will be responsible for finances, bookkeeping, submitting updates and reports to ACT Coordinating Office, Geneva and the donor agencies. HIA's Director will provide monthly monitoring of the project implementation. IMPLEMENTATION TIMETABLE Duration of the project implementation: November 1999-April 2000. COORDINATION During the program implementation ACT/HIA/ROC will coordinate and cooperate with the local authorities, military corps of the Russian Army and the units of the Interior Ministry that will be unavoidable because of the military operations and security conditions in the region. In the realization of the distributions ACT/HIA/ROC will cooperate with the local parishes as well. To avoid any duplication ACT/HIA/ROC will contact UNHCR, ICRC and Caritas of European Russia that are known for being active in the region. Because of the unstable security conditions it will be essential to join UNHCR's alarming system. ACT APPEAL BUDGET Description Type of Number Cost/Unit Total Unit of Unit USD USD DIRECT ASSISTANCE Distribution of food Flour Kg 90,000 0.32 28,800 Oil Ltr 90,000 1.00 90,000 Sugar Kg 90,000 0.43 38,700 Buckwheat Kg 90,000 2.00 180,000 Milk powder Kg 90,000 1.57 141,300 Macaroni Kg 90,000 0.40 36,000 Tea Pack 90,000 1.00 90,000 Baby formula Pack 26,100 1.00 30,798 Clothes and blankets (In Kind) Lumpsum 435,000 Sub Total Direct Assistance 1,070,598 MATERIAL TRANSPORT, STORAGE, WAREHOUSING, HANDLING Material Transport - Truck Rental and Related Costs Month 6 5,600 33,600 Description Type of Number Cost/Unit Total Unit of Unit USD USD Storage, Warehousing, Handling - Warehouse Rental Month 6 1,500 9,000 - Labour for Loading & Unloading Month 6 500 3,000 - Other (Customs' Clearance) Lumpsum 10,000 Sub Total Transport, Storage, Handling 55,600 CAPITAL EQUIPMENT (Over $500) Office Equipment - Computers and Peripherials Lumpsum 1,500 - Photocopiers Lumpsum 600 - Office Furnishings Lumpsum 1,500 Sub Total Capital Equipment 3,600 PERSONNEL, ADMINISTRATION, OPERATIONS & SUPPORT Staff Salaries & Support - Project Staff Salaries Month 6 15,200 91,200 - Project Staff Housing Month 6 400 2,400 Staff Travel - International travel Month 6 1,000 6,000 - Local & Regional Travel Month 6 1,200 7,200 Office Operation - Office Rental (Stavropol) Month 6 600 3,600 - Office Utilities Month 6 150 900 - Office Stationary & Supplies Month 6 150 900 Communications - Communication and project preparation Lumpsum 500 - Telephone and Fax Month 6 1,500 9,000 Vehicle Operations - Fuel (Gasoline & Diesel) Month 6 500 3,000 Audit & Evaluation - Audit of ACT Appeal Funds Lumpsum 1,000 - Program Evaluation, Monitoring Month 6 1,500 9,000 Sub Total Personnel, Administration, Operations, Support 134,700 TOTAL EXPENDITURE AND APPEAL TARGET 1,264,498 150 route de Ferney, P.O. Box 2100 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland Tel: 41 22 791 6033 Fax: 41 22 791 6506 Coordinating Office APPEAL FACT SHEET Appeal Number: EURU91 Appeal Name: North Caucasus Crisis - Emergency Relief for Displaced Date Issued: November 5, 1999 Project Completion Date: April 2000 Project Description: as a result of the Chechnya crisis, thousands of people, close to 200,000, have fled into neighboring regions to seek refuge. Others, estimated about 170,000, remain as IDPs inside Chechnya. The displaced families live under terrible conditions, suffering from lack of shelter, food, medical care and winter clothing. The two ACT Members Hungarian Interchurch Aid and the Russian Orthodox Church wish to respond to the extent possible by providing food parcels, blankets, clothing and baby formula foods to about 15,000 people in the three regions of Ingushetia (9,730), North Ossetia (1,270) and Stavropol (4,000). Implementing Activity Appeal Target Partner Description (USD) ACT/HIA/ROC Distribution of Food items, Clothes/Blankets 1,264,498 TOTAL APPEAL TARGET: $ 1,264,498 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide network of churches and their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33 150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06 1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH Switzerland http://www.act-intl.org distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -