INGUSHETIA, to October 23, Caucasus Times - Since the morning of October 23, the inhabitants of "Satsita" tent camp in Ordzhonikidzevskaya gathered spontaneously protesting against another registration of the resident in camp.

A joint team of employees of the Chechen committee on the refugees, and Migration service of Ingushetia arrived to conduct a planned passport check and register the residents who permanently live in the camp. The visit caused rage of locals. The people affirm the agency employees conduct such checks several days a week.

Dozens of the people poured out the streets and blocked all entries to the tents, preventing the members of commission to the tents. "Everyone, who appears to be absent at the moment will be removed from the refugee list by the Migration service. But we can not sit all day long in tents. We have to maintain our families, secure our children and to find work out there," Khizhan Makueyeva, a local woman complains. "Now we are not supposed to go out there to earn some money?"

"We shall conduct checks as much as required to spot those absent, who are still registered in the lists, but actually do not live here and come to Ingushetia to get the humanitarian help," said an employee of the Chechen Committee. "The registration is just a formal procedure for those who actually lives here."

In the afternoon the commission managed to convince the people, there would be no unmotivated withdrawal from the refugee lists and the registration procedure was successfully completed.

Malika Suleymanova, Caucasus Times, Ingushetia

Islamonline.net

Chechnya: A Humanitarian Situation Turning WorseBy Aisha El-Awady

23/10/2003

With a death toll of 60,000 to 100,000 since 1994, 40% of which werechildren, a massive refugee and internally displaced persons (IDPs)crisis, one of the worst landmine problems in the world, together withan ailing healthcare system and a destroyed infrastructure, Chechnya isfacing one of the worst humanitarian situations in the world. The lackof sufficient relief work in the region due to the lack of security andfunding has only added to the aggravation of the innocent Chechencivilian population.

The conflict between Chechnya and Russia can be dated back to 1853, whenRussia’s desire to conquer the Caucasus region in an attempt to increaseits territorial acquisitions led to the Crimean War* (1853-1856) againstthe people of Chechnya. With their declaration of independence fromRussia in September 1991, tensions between the two countries arose onceagain. In December of 1994, Russian troops were sent to Chechnya leadingto a bloody conflict between the two neighbors. After a four year periodduring which major fighting was halted, hostilities began once again inAugust 1996 leading to the current humanitarian crisis.

The Landmine Plague

Throughout their struggle for independence from the Russian federation,the Chechen people have suffered tremendously. Civilians, especiallywomen and children, are the ones paying the price for this unrelentingconflict.

Both the Russian and the Chechen forces continue to use landmines as oneof their primary weapons. The extensive use of landmines has been aparticular problem for the estimated 300,000 Internally DisplacedPersons (IDPs) who have moved to refugee camps and settlements inneighboring Ingushetia. The fear of stumbling across one of these minesprevent most of these IDPs from returning home especially since they aremore often than not the victims of these indiscriminate and deadlydevices. **

According to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, more landminescan be found in Chechnya than in any other region in the world. Theyalso state that the year 2002 witnessed a total of 5,695 casualtiescaused by landmines, which is double the number occurring in 2001, 938of these being children. The significance of these numbers is cleargiven the fact that the region has a population of less than one millionpeople.

Although it is impossible to give an accurate count due to the inabilityto collect such data under the current security conditions, it has beenestimated last year by Olara Otunnu, the United Nations specialrepresentative for children in armed conflict, that the number oflandmines planted in Chechnya is around half a million mines, whichmakes it, “one of the most land-mine polluted zones in the world...verymuch up there with Afghanistan, Angola, and Sri Lanka.”

Since the beginning of the conflict, it has been estimated that thenumber of casualties caused by landmines and other explosive ordnancehas been more than 10,000, half of these being children.

According to Aida Ailarova, an expert with the United NationsInternational Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)-funded National Officeof Mine Action in Vladikavkaz, “Both sides use mines very extensively.*Even if the war stopped tomorrow, it would take years to make Chechnyasafe. But as long as the conflict continues, no one will seriously begindemining operations.”

It is estimated that up to 100,000 hectares of arable land in Chechnyais in need of mine clearance. However, with the withdrawal of the fewinternational agencies that worked for a short time on mine clearance,there is currently a total absence of mine action funding and mineclearance projects in the country. The only action now being takenconcerning mines is the distribution of mine awareness posters mainlytargeting children and adolescents.

With only one clinic in the north Caucasus region that is able toprovide prosthetic care, the physical therapy, prosthetics andpsychological counseling needed by mine victims also poses a real problem.

The Plight of IDPs and Refugees

Since the start of the conflict, over 350,000 people have left thecountry. There are approximately 84,000 IDPs living in refugee camps orother settlements in neighboring Ingushetia. These refugees, especiallythe 12,000 living in tent camps, are continuously being harassed by theRussian forces who have subjected them to arbitrary deregistration fromcamp lists, detentions, looting and ill-treatment as well as otheraggravations in an attempt to force them back to Chechnya. Access to thecamps by humanitarian and human rights groups is also denied from timeto time by local authorities.

The health situation of the IDPs is deplorable. The overcrowding andunhygienic surroundings have led to a high incidence of acuterespiratory disease, skin diseases, diarrhea and other gastrointestinaldisease especially amongst children. The approaching subzero wintertemperature will be extremely harsh on the IDPs, many of whom live ininadequate shelters.

IDPs are facing several hardships including the lack of basic food,potable water, and disposal of wastes. Health care centers that arestill working lack everything, including medicine and supplies.Civilians in need of medical assistance are often too afraid to movearound especially during the night and therefore cannot get theassistance they require and often end up with unnecessary complications.

An outbreak of tuberculosis occurred among the IDPs and local populationof Ingushetia and an increase in HIV and other STDs is also being seen.Examinations of children in Chechnya carried out by the Association ofWomen Doctors of Chechnya showed more than 50% of the children to besuffering from pathological iodine deficiency, while 76% of themsuffered from other types of diseases or ailments. Immunization ratesare also very low among both IDPs and local residents, with only 24.6%of displaced children receiving vaccinations. The rate is especially lowfor measles, tetanus, and diphtheria vaccinations.

Psychological Effects of the War

The war has had a heavy toll on the Chechen children. Having to witnesskillings, loss of loved ones and sometimes maiming has affected themboth physically and psychologically.

In Chechnya, there are an estimated 291,000 children while another40,000 Chechen children are living in Ingushetia, mostly as refugees.Many of these children suffer from various psychosomatic conditions orpost-traumatic stress disorder. Some of the symptoms include insomnia,nightmares, violent behavior, lack of interest in school or otheractivities, lack of concentration and communication as well as shockreactions to sudden sounds.

With the majority of qualified professionals having left the country andthe intermittent nature of relief projects in the region, the necessarycare for these children is severely deficient. As with the majority ofwars and conflicts, this one has not failed to cause the unnecessarygrief and suffering of the innocent.

Sources:

* Busé, Margaret S. “Chechnya: The Republic of the Wolf.”* Children's rehabilitation center “Little Star”* Vazayeva, Asiyat, Institute for War & Peace Reporting, “The mentalscars of Chechnya's children”,2003 .* Hayden Roberts, “Update: The Landmine Situation in Chechnya.”* Human Rights Watch, Russia: Displaced Chechens in Ingushetia faceabuses, 22 Sept2003* “MSF Calls for Independent Monitoring Presence in Chechnya.” 12April2000 .* Valentinas Mite, “Russia: Land Mines Kill, Injure More In ChechnyaThan Anywhere Else.”* “Health situation in Ingushetia and Chechnya under surveillance (2002).”* Kristina Davis “Chechnya: Reconstruction Amidst the War.”

Aisha El-Awady has a bachelor’s degree in medicine from Cairo Universityand is currently preparing her MA and working as instructor of Parasitology in the Faculty of Medicine. She may be contacted at:aawady@islam-online.net