Ms. Yerofeyeva, what tasks have you set for yourself?

Our immediate plans include working more closely with the mass media in order to change the negative public attitude toward reproductive health, as a result of attacks of small targeted groups like Pro Life or organizations operating in a religious guise. This is an indication of the situation in our society, and it seems that many people still underestimate the significance of reproductive health issues.

The subject of reproductive health itself is inadequately perceived in the society, including educated public...

That’s right. It is very unfortunate for the simple reason that UNFPA is a strong advocate of reproductive rights, the right of each family to decide on desirable number of children. In Russia, despite the fact that this right is ensured on legislative acts, the term "family planning" strikes a widely varying response. Even the title federal "Family Planning" program has been received with suspicion. Our opponents translate it as a threat to birth rates in Russia.

Who are your opponents?

I think our main enemies are ourselves. Any myth can be made up on the basis of misunderstanding, absence of reliable information, or simply ignorance.

Perhaps most people associate the term "family planning" with the prohibition on having more than one child, like in China?

I think that many people associate "family planning" with the Soviet times when all spheres of life were controlled and regulated. This is what makes them worried. The family planning and reproductive health program promotes the right of each family to have as many children in accordance with its wishes and resources. There are medical limitations: it is not advisable to give birth before 18 year of age, or too late, after the age of 44. Moreover, the interval between births should be no less than two years. Doctors recommend not to have more than five or six children, since pathologies frequently develop after the fifth childbirth.

That seems to echo the folk wisdom that poverty breeds destitution?

Yes and no. Russia’s population has always grown due to high fertility in the southern regions. In the central part, however, growth was not significant. It is sad to hear that the family planning programs are contributing to population fall and reducing birth rates in Russia. The birth rates are falling for entirely different reasons. The decline of the past decade has not been the best period to stimulate its growth. So UNFPA objective is to provide assistance to people to resolve these issues. This does not mean, though, that financial motivation will encourage birth rates increase.

What measures do we need?

This requires an appropriate government policy which could be a part of a new national idea. In practical terms, UNFPA can assist to prevent unwanted pregnancies and abortions, and save women’s health and lives by encouraging the use of modern contraception. Almost a third of women’s deaths in Russia are related to abortions. When our opponents claim that contraceptives keep birth rates down, this is a lie. Unfortunately, the Russian Federal Family Planning Program was suspended by the Duma in December 1997. During its implementation, the abortion rates decreased four times being as a result of use of contraceptives.

Apparently, lack or insufficiency of contraceptives is having a negative effect on female health?

A large number of female infertility cases occur after miscarriages or abortions. Many women suffer from secondary infertility. The 1998 financial crisis affected the contraceptive use as the standard of living was lowered. Consequently, women had to use more primitive and less efficient methods of pregnancy prevention and more frequently fall into the risk group. It is extremely important for a young family to have access to modern contraceptives. One way or the other, prevention of unwanted pregnancy is protection from possible infertility in the future. These issues fall under UNFPA priorities.

What are your plans in the short term?

Mr. Green, what are the purposes of the WFP program of assistance to displaced persons in the North Caucasus? How long will it last?

Initially we were asked by the Secretary-General to participate in providing food assistance to the internally displaced people in Ingushetia. This help is a part of a flash appeal launched in November 1999. We had some delays in getting food resources, in getting contributions in the consequence of which my arrival to Russia was possible only in the end of January. WFP intention was to operate in the North Caucasus by remote using an office in Moscow.

We signed an agreement with EMERCOM of Russia so that they would distribute aid for us in Ingushetia and we also developed a contract with the EMERCOM for specific logistics tasks. They have began performing those tasks with the arrival of the first food – high energy biscuits – in mid-January. While we were delayed UNHCR had to provide food to the North Caucasus operation. And it is only in end of February we had enough food in the country to be able to replace UNHCR in the North Caucasus operation as a major supplier of food.

Where do you receive these supplies from?

Well, UNHCR got all of their supplies from local purchasers that made through the commercial suppliers, most in Stavropol. We started also with local purchasers for reasons of time as we were anxious to get into the field and take the burden off UNHCR. Before that we bought commodities in Europe because donors wanted us to do that. To some extent we bought in Europe because the prices were cheaper even with the transport.

But with the crisis the prices in Russia appear to be cheaper than in Europe...

It depends on what you are talking about. WFP has some very good suppliers and we buy a lot of food all over the world. We buy in lodgments and we did very good prices and cheapest.

Do, only European suppliers give a good discount when you buy big amounts of goods? How about Russian compaamer?

We are getting into that now. I would guess that half if not more than half of food that we are going to bring in between now and the end of June, when the second phase will end, we’ll do with the local producers and suppliers of UNHCR and also from EMERCOM. We arranged the shipment directly into the warehouses of the Danish Refugee Council who are handling our distributions in Ingushetia.

How much money has WFP spent on help to the IDPs in Ingushetia?

The total program requires US $6.7 million. Up to now we spent in contribution for food about US $2.3 million and we have brought into Ingushetia about 5,000 metric tons of food. Two-thirds were imported. To the end of June we are committed to bring in 11,800 metric tons. We have been focusing and we continue to focus on local purchase. We have to make sure that it is comparative. It doesn’t have to be necessarily the cheapest price. For the time being our focus is Ingushetia but we are aware of assistance in Chechnya itself.

We already discussed under what circumstances we are going into Chechnya. We sent a security team before sending an inter-agency assessment mission to take a look to the situation in order to know where the needs are, what limitations of any operation could be, security, storage and other problems.

Chechnya is almost completely destroyed...

I am sure that there are areas that are destroyed more than others or less destroyed than others but we do not yet know how we would operate, how many people the are and what their needs are. And obviously security, particularly for non-Chechens, for international envoys, or for Russians is going to be our major concern.

Do you think that the situation with the IDPs in Ingushetia is as catastrophic as some Russian politicians claim?

I do not think that the situation is critical. We have had some difficulties with the Customs but now it is in the past. All of our supplies are delivered to Ingushetia.

Will WFP leave Russia after the operation in the North Caucasus?