I. HIGHLIGHTS
Russian Government Fights the Consequences of an Avalanche in North
Ossetia
In North Ossetia, the Russian government continued rescue operations
after a disastrous avalanche on 20 September, when a large part of the
glacier Kolka crashed down a mountainside, generating a huge mudslide.
The mudslide destroyed several holiday resorts, sewage disposal plants,
water wells, and a 1.5 km stretch of a power line. Approximately 15 houses
were covered by the ice mass. The rescue operations involve 493 people,
106 units of machinery, 3 helicopters, and 8 search dogs. According to
EMERCOM of Russia, 16 people have been found dead, 120 are missing, and
27 have been rescued.
UN Mission Discusses Health and Shelter Issues in Grozny
On 18 September, a joint UN mission, including representatives of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Children's
Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organisation (WHO), went to Grozny
to meet the Chechen authorities on health and shelter issues, as part of
the process of elaborating the Consolidated Inter-agency Appeal for 2003.
In addition, the mission visited a temporary accommodation centre (TAC)
in Grozny, a shelter materials distribution point, operated by an UNHCR
partner, the People in Need Foundation (PINF), and several houses rehabilitated
with these materials. At the shelter sector meeting the delegation pointed
out that the situation in the TAC in terms of water provision and sanitation
had not improved as compared to the previous visit. The main purpose of
the health sector meeting was to discuss the overall health situation,
to identify main problems, and to set priorities for the present and for
2003.The TB situation, as well as the UN mother and child healthcare, immunisation,
and other programmes were also discussed.
II. HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Protection
In Ingushetia, the UNHCR continued monitoring the situation with the
relocation of IDPs from the Imam IDP camp in Aki-Yurt. The agency assessed
6 of the 11 sites in Ingushetia proposed by the Ingush migration service
for the voluntary relocation of IDPs, currently accommodated in the camp.
In addition, UNHCR staff visited 6 families of 25 persons, which had already
moved to a new place of accommodation and appeared to be satisfied with
the conditions there. In addition, UNHCR found alternative shelter for
6 IDP families (35 persons), evicted from a spontaneous settlement in a
former factory building, when the owner decided to resume production.
Food
In Chechnya, the World Food Programme (WFP), together with its NGO implementing
partners, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), Islamic Relief (IR), and PINF,
continued distributing about 1,400 MTs of basic food commodities to 88,300
beneficiaries. As part of the school-feeding project, WFP allocated 168
MTs of mixed food commodities to its NGO partners for further distribution
to schools in Grozny city, Grozny rural district, and Ahkhoy-Martanovsky,
Gudermes and Sunzhensky rayons of the republic. In addition, the agency
provided about 20 MTs to Caritas Internationalis, DRC, and PINF for distribution
to over 1,700 beneficiaries of its institutional feeding project (hospital
patients, children attending kindergartens), primarily in Grozny. Around
3,700 persons in Grozny received over 100 MTs of food under the WFP food-for-work
project, carried out in partnership with PINF. In Ingushetia, WFP provided
more than 1,100 MTs of basic food commodities to DRC, IR, and the Saudi
Red Crescent Society for distribution among 80,900 IDPs.
Shelter and Non-food Items
In Chechnya, UNHCR, in cooperation with PINF, resumed deliveries of
roofing sheets to complete the sets of shelter materials provided for the
reconstruction of 'one dry room' in over 3,500 private houses, assessed
in 2001, and in 1,500 houses, assessed in 2002. In Ingushetia in Berd-Yurt,
UNHCR, together with DRC, continued supporting the individual houses construction
and income generating activities aimed at integrating IDPs from Chechnya
(ethnic Ingush) into the Ingush society. The construction of an UNHCR-funded
carpentry workshop was started, where skilled IDPs will produce box tents,
beds, etc.
Help, a German NGO, continued giving priority in non-food assistance
to IDPs from Chechnya, accommodated in host families and spontaneous settlements
in Ingushetia. By the end of September, the current distribution of hygienic
items, started on 16 August, reached over 3,300 IDP families in Nazran
region. About 5,800 IDP families benefited from the ongoing bed items distribution
started on 10 August.
Health
WHO started distributing medical equipment to selected maternity and
paediatric departments of hospitals in Chechnya and Ingushetia. In Ingushetia,
it provided assistance to maternity wards of three district hospitals in
Malgobeksky, Nazranovsky and Sunzhensky rayons. In Chechnya, the agency
carried out partial distribution to selected functional health facilities
in Grozny. In addition, it delivered games and sport items to 4 children
rehabilitation centres in Grozny, and to 2 psychiatric hospitals in Chechnya.
UNICEF continued promoting safe motherhood and childhood practices through
assisting maternity and paediatric hospitals and outpatient clinics in
Chechnya and NGO-run clinics in Ingushetia, providing them with basic drugs,
mother and child healthcare kits and medical consumables.
Water and Sanitation
The Polish Humanitarian Organisation (PHO), a UNICEF NGO partner, continued
producing and distributing potable water at about 150 distribution points
around Grozny. It resumed the project of garbage and sewage disposal in
hospitals, polyclinics, and schools in Grozny, where 150 m3 of garbage
had accumulated. In Ingushetia, UNICEF distributed 2,000 bars of soap and
60 litres of anti-parasites substance to patients in hospitals.
Education
The third UNICEF-funded kindergarten for IDP children opened in Ingushetia,
in Altiyevo. The Caritas Internationalis NGO runs the facility, which caters
for 50 children.
Mine Action*
In Chechnya, a group of children with amputated arms as a result of
mine accidents continued attending training sessions of a UNICEF-funded
football team in Grozny, while 25 mine affected adolescents proceeded with
their English and computer classes under UNICEF's vocational training course.
The UNICEF/WHO-supported prosthetic centre in Vladikavkaz provided prosthesis
to 8 children-mine victims and delivered 17 corsets to mine affected IDP
children and women in spontaneous settlements in Ingushetia. WHO began
a new round of its prosthetic assistance programme for IDP amputees from
Chechnya, taking 14 invalids to the Vladikavkaz prosthetic centre for measuring
and fitting the prosthetic devices. Ten child mine victims continued visiting
the UNICEF-supported physical rehabilitation centre in Vladikavkaz for
special exercises, massage, and physiotherapy. Psychologists from an NGO,
New Education, a UNICEF partner, provided consultations to 14 mine victims
in the prosthetic and the physical rehabilitation centres. Eleven IDP children
received psychological counselling by psychologists from Let's Save the
Generation and New Education NGOs at a tent rehabilitation centre in B
camp. Twenty-four war-affected children from Chechnya continued receiving
group and individual psychosocial treatment at the specialised psychological
centre in Vladikavkaz.
* 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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