The hostilities that broke out in the autumn of 1999 in the Republic of Chechnya, after one month of fighting in the Republic of Daghestan, have devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Around 280,000 people have been forced to seek refuge outside Chechnya, and some 150,000 are displaced inside Chechnya itself. The majority of the resident population in Chechnya lives in towns and cities badly damaged during the 1994-1996 conflict, and now further affected by ten months of bombardment.

The Russian Government has been and continues to be the main provider of humanitarian assistance in Chechnya, Daghestan, and Ingushetia. The government has provided considerable financial resources and in-kind contributions. These include: building camps; providing extensive relief such as clothes and blankets; allocating 15 roubles per day per IDP in each camp to provide food rations; making public buildings and railroad cars available to house IDPs; and covering the costs of gas, electricity, and water in spontaneous settlements. The Government has, however, requested supplementary assistance from the international community.

In November 1999 to March 2000, the United Nations outlined its initial and follow-on response to alleviate the human misery. The UN aimed to provide assistance to avert the loss of life amongst the displaced population and explore the extent to which work in Chechnya itself could begin. Thanks to support from the donor community and coupled with the relief effort of the Russian Government, the International Committee of the Red Cross and its partners, and non-governmental organisations, the UN helped to avert a human catastrophe amongst the displaced population in Ingushetia.

From May 17 to 23, the UN, with participants from the Russian Government and the NGO community, reviewed its programmes, re-assessed needs, and planned future action. The UN team that had gone to Ingushetia concluded that the primary needs of food, shelter, health, and water and sanitation are, on the whole, being met in Ingushetia and must continue to be covered until the political situation improves. The team noted also that needs inside Chechnya are vast. The international community has an obligation to provide humanitarian assistance to civilians caught inside the republic.

Over the next five months, the UN expects there to be no significant reduction of tension in Chechnya. The UN, therefore, holds that it is too early to encourage a return of the approximately 200,000 displaced persons from Ingushetia to Chechnya. It is likely, however, that there will be continuous population movements between Ingushetia and Chechnya as have occurred during the past four months. The number of displaced persons in Ingushetia will remain relatively steady. Displaced persons within Chechnya itself will continue attempts to return to their place of origin before the winter.

The UN has extended its humanitarian programme in the Northern Caucasus until December 31, 2000. The extension of the UN Consolidated Inter-agency Appeal for the Northern Caucasus: 1 December 1999 – 31 December 2000 outlines the humanitarian situation and describes the emergency programmes required to sustain the population, as well as those addressing the critical needs for protection. UN humanitarian action aims to assist:

civilians in need in Chechnya;

vulnerable residents, including members of host families, in Daghestan and Ingushetia;

IDPs in Daghestan and Ingushetia who remain there temporarily; and

IDPs who wish to integrate in Ingushetia.

UN humanitarian action targets different numbers of people in each sector. For example, food aid aims to reach an average of 325,000 beneficiaries in Chechnya and Ingushetia while water cleaning and sanitation projects target 605,000 persons in Ingushetia. Mine awareness programmes target 200,000 displaced persons in Ingushetia, as well as 500,000 residents and displaced persons in Chechnya.

The UN wishes to highlight that humanitarian action inside Chechnya calls for programmes being based on assessed needs and all parties respecting the independence, impartiality, and neutrality of humanitarian programmes. All parties will have to work to ensure the safety and security of UN and associated staff. While the UN will continue its three-step approach, this will now be increasingly supplemented by two initiatives. First, the establishment of partnerships with experienced international NGOs, whereby the UN and NGOs work together on assessment, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Second, paying increased attention to capacity building of local staff so that the provision of assistance can continue if international staff has to step back from the region.

The UN is now taking additional measures to strengthen monitoring. First, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator will chair a special monitoring group, which will meet once per month to review this programme’s overall goals. Second, the agencies, which are focal points for sectors, have assumed responsibility for monitoring the goals and objectives that are relevant to their sectors. Third, the UN will create a comprehensive database to manage output and beneficiary based information and the Humanitarian Coordinator will issue monthly UN Monitoring reports. Fourth, UN agencies aim to agree on a common approach to use indicators to measure the effectiveness of its programmes.

The North Caucasus: Convoys with Himanitarian Assistance Continue

The UNHCR contribution so far to the emergency relief operation is over US$ 10 million, while the projected input in food and non-food items till the end of 2000 will be approximately US$ 12 million.

Refugees About Themselves

Psychological Programme 

The UNHCR-supported psychological assistance programme for refugees and asylum seekers is being implemented since September 1999. The programme is aimed at rendering flexible and efficient psychological support to facilitate the socio-psychological adaptation and rehabilitation of refugees and asylum seekers in Russia. The psychologists involved in the programme are researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences and faculty members and graduates of Moscow State University and Moscow State Pedagogical University. Within the framework of the programme a socio-psycologiscal poll "Education Problems as Perceived by Afghan Refugees" was held. The interviewers were Afghan refugee women.

The Radio Programme “The Cart of Seven Muses” Receives the Popov National Award

The Popov National Prize is the most prestigious award in radio programming in Russia. The radio broadcasting “The Cart of Seven Muses" received this national prize in the nomination “The Best Cultural Programme” in 2000. This UNHCR-sponsored radio programme is broadcast on the “This is Moscow speaking” Radio station. It is composed of retro and modern ethnic music and verses and jingles on refugee issues. It also calls for tolerance towards various ethnic groups, primarily towards those who did not find themselves in Moscow and in Russia of their free will. Facilitated by Nazim Nadirov, an expert in ethnic music, the programme has retained its old-standing admirers as well as it keeps attracting new ones. The audience of the programme is composed of representatives of various ethnic groups who were forced to leave their home countries and seek refuge in Russia (Armenians, Tadjiks, Afghans, Kurds, Azeris, etc.). According to listeners’ feedback, this programme is their only connection with their country of origin. Muscovites also tune to the radio station to gain more knowledge about ethnic music and at the same time share and understand the plight of those who seek refuge and protection in Russia. The programme “The Cart of Seven Muses” has been gaining recognition and popularity with audiences and the mass media in Russia and all over the world. The joint project of UNHCR and “This is Moscow Speaking” Radio is highly appreciated by specialists in Europe, and the participation of Nazim Nadirov for more than a year as a member of the jury of the World Music Charts Europe testifies to the above.

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