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OCHA United Nation Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
Overall Situation and Needs
The humanitarian consequences of the hostilities that erupted in the autumn of 1999 in the Northern Caucasus continue to affect the lives of some 330,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and up to 690,000 residents in the Republics of Chechnya and Ingushetia.
The review of current programmes, which the UN conducted with the Russian Government and the ICRC and NGOs in October confirmed that most urgent needs have been and continue to be met through the provision of food, shelter and relief items, health sector support and ensuring safe water and sanitary conditions in Ingushetia. There is little prospect for the return of the displaced population to Chechnya during the 2000-2001 winter. Therefore humanitarian programmes will be critical to the population’s welfare during this period. Assistance needs of the population in Chechnya remain largely unmet, although during the past three months the proportion of UN aid going to Chechnya has increased from about 5 per cent to some 25 per cent of the total. The UN and other humanitarian agencies could address many of the needs in Chechnya assuming that security permits, access is granted, and resources are made available to them.
Appeal period and funds requested
The UN launched the Inter-agency Consolidated Appeal on 29 November 2000 in Moscow. The same day, the Northern Caucasus appeal was launched in Washington. The UN agencies now seek a net figure of US$ 44,870,925 for humanitarian programmes from 1 January to 31 December 2001.
Scenario
Although very difficult to predict, the UN holds that the most likely scenario for 2001 is that, initially, there will be little return of IDPs from Ingushetia to Chechnya, and of IDPs in Chechnya to their place of origin) but that, provided there is a reduction in tensions, a return more sustained than that witnessed in 2000 will take place.
Target numbers, groups and areas
Humanitarian action aims to protect people’s lives and alleviate the immediate stress and suffering arising from the crisis. As such, humanitarian programmes outlined in the UN appeal address the needs of three groups of affected populations: civilians in need in Chechnya; vulnerable residents and IDPs in Ingushetia and other parts of the North Caucasus; and IDPs who wish to stay in Ingushetia permanently. The UN has considered various sources of information on population figures for Chechnya and Ingushetia and has come up with the following figures: 370,000 residents and 170,000 IDPs in Chechnya, and 320,000 residents and 160,000 IDPs in Ingushetia. The number of beneficiaries varies by sector, for example, 205,000 in education, 335,000 in food aid, or 770,000 in water and sanitation.
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Ms. Carolyn McAskie, Emergency Relief Coordinator a.i., visited Russia from 21-25 November, 2000, at the invitation of the Government. Objectives of the mission were to discuss issues of common interest, to gather first-hand knowledge of the humanitarian situation and review the humanitarian operation in the Northern Caucasus, explore the possibilities of increasing the level of UN assistance provided inside Chechnya in accordance with the humanitarian needs, with due consideration to the security requirements.
In
Moscow, Ms. McAskie met with senior officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs,
Federation, Emergencies, as well as from the State Duma, and the Chechen Administration.
She held consultations with members of donor embassies, UN agencies, the ICRC,
and members of NGOs. In the Northern Caucasus Ms. McAskie conducted meetings
with senior officials of the Ingush and North Ossetian authorities, as well
as with the mayor of Grozny, and held discussions with UN agency representatives,
the ICRC, and local and international NGOs.
In Ingushetia, where 160,000 IDPs live, Ms. McAskie visited three camps. While the provision of assistance by the Government, UN, ICRC, and NGOs was adequate, IDPs were demoralized and anxious to return to their homeland.
However, the security situation and the lack of acceptable living conditions in Chechnya prevent a mass return of IDPs. Ms. McAskie recommended that the UN continue to provide aid to Ingushetia, and increase the amount of assistance going into Chechnya to address the critical needs of civilians in the republic. While UN cannot, for the time being, establish a presence inside Chechnya, it will continue to provide assistance by conducting missions on an ad hoc basis according to the dictates of the security environment.
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UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata has held talks with the Russian leadership during her visit to Moscow on 23-25 October.
Ms. Sadako Ogata met with President Mr. Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Mr. Igor Ivanov, the federal human rights representative in Chechnya Mr. Vladimir Kalamanov and other officials. The talks covered a wide range of issues concerning the relationship between Moscow and the Office of the UNHCR.
At the meeting with Ms. Sadako Ogata, President Vladimir Putin
pointed out that Russia has cooperated and will continue to 
actively
cooperate with the UN in protecting human rights and rights of displaced persons.
He expressed satisfaction with progress in the implementation of the memorandum
signed between his country and the UNHCR. President Vladimir Putin praised the
performance of Ms. Sadako Ogata as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. (Her
term of the office expires at this year’s end).
The President noted that since their latest meeting in November 1999, UNHCR has done a lot of useful things in the Caucasus and other regions of the world. President Vladimir Putin awarded Ms. Sadako Ogata the Order of Friendship.
Speaking to Russian and foreign journalists Ms. Sadako Ogata assured them that UNHCR would continue its assistance to those who is currently residing in Ingushetia, as well as to those who had stayed in Chechnya or returned there. She also voiced some other urgent problems such as the situation of asylum-seekers from the non-CIS-countries.
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On 17 November a new tent camp was opened in Ingushetia for internally displaced persons from Chechnya. This camp is only the first part of the bigger tent camp for a total of 12,000 persons, which is being built jointly by UNHCR and EMERCOM. Representatives of UNHCR, other UN agencies and the Ingush authorities attended the opening ceremony.
Fully funded by UNHCR the camp is constructed by the Ingush EMERCOM. The first phase provides accommodation for four thousand people. They will be accommodated in 260 winterised large tents for 15-20 persons each. IDPs in the Severny train camp and persons from dilapidated spontaneous settlements were offered shelter in the camp.
After living the whole year in train IDPs will have now better living conditions on the eve of the forthcoming winter. By the end of November the first part of the camp was already occupied. All required engineering infrastructures are in place including water, gas, electricity and roads. For the first time, an improved type of latrine was used in the camp.
In addition, UNHCR is also assisting 66 spontaneous settlements slated for winterising through provision of shelter materials. Some 17,500 people from Chechnya live in these settlements. UNHCR supplies also construction materials for a “Dairy Farm” in Karabulak, which is one of Ingushetia’s largest spontaneous settlements. 2,700 people have been living there in appalling conditions for the last several months.
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UNHCR was created by the United Nations General Assembly 50
years ago, on 14 December 1950, and started working in 1951. UNHCR began as
a small organisation, with 
a
three-year mandate to help resettle European refugees who were still homeless
in the aftermath of the Second World War. Since that time, the organisation
has continually expanded to meet the needs of refugees and other displaced persons.
Since its creation UNHCR helped roughly 50 million people to restart their lives,
either assisting them to return to their original homes, integrate in the country
of origin or resettling them in new countries.
Currently UNHCR has its presence in 120 countries, Russia is among them, protecting and assisting over 22 million refugees and about 20-25 million internally displaced persons. With over a million people forced to flee their homes in Kosovo, East Timor, and North Caucasus in 1999 alone, it is clear that the problem of forced displacement will remain a major concern of the international community in the 21st century.
UNHCR organised several events on the occasion of the birthday of the organisation in order to draw public attention to the plight of refugees. Among them a ballet performance at the Bolshoy Theatre which was attended by UNHCR partners, governmental officials, donors, refugees and migrants themseves. The special edition in Russian of the State of the World’s Refugees was launched and a one-day programme was included into the 6th International Film Festival on Human Rights «Stalker» .
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For your UN file .
The Economic and Social Council, under the overall authority of the General Assembly, coordinates the economic and social work of the United Nations and the UN family. As the central forum for discussing international economic and social issues and for formulating policy recommendations, the Council plays a key role in fostering international cooperation for development. It also consults with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), thereby maintaining a vital link between the United Nations and civil society.
The Council has 54 members, elected by the General Assembly for three-year terms. It meets throughout the year and holds a major session in July, during which a special meeting of Ministers discusses major economic and social issues. Beginning in 1998, the Council expanded its discussions to include humanitarian themes.
The Council’s subsidiary bodies meet regularly and report back to it. The Commission on Human Rights, for example, monitors the observance of human rights throughout the world. Other bodies focus on such issues as social development, the status of women, crime prevention, narcotic drugs and environmental protection. Five regional commissions promote economic development and strengthened economic relations in their respective regions.
