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Inter-Agency Transitional Workplan for the North Caucasus 2007

Attachments

1. Executive Summary

The United Nations and its NGO part ners since 1999 have provided assistance and protection to the population of Chechnya and its neighboring republics under a Common Humanitarian Action Plan and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of the Russian Federation. Beginning in 2006, the traditional Consolidated Appeal (CAP) was broad ened into the first InterAgency Transitional Workplan. Agencies now undertake projects in areas such as Economic Growth, Governance, and Peace and Tolerance, in addition to the array of humanitarian activities (Education, Food Security and Agriculture, Health, Mine Action, Protection, Shelter, and Water and Sanitation).

This document is the second annual InterAgency Transitional Workplan for the North Caucasus. It represents the joint strategic framework of twentyone agencies (9 UN and 12 NGOs), and their appeal for nearly US$ 79.6 million to carry out a consolidated program of assistance and protection in 2007. This plan and appeal was developed in coop eration with local communities, govern ment, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, and donors.

Current assessments of humanitarian vulnerability indicate that the overall humanitarian situation in Chechnya and its neighboring republics will remain seri ous throughout 2007, although gradual improvement is expected. There are at least 150,000 internally displaced persons in Chechnya (equivalent to 1015% of the total population) and as many as 40,000 persons are also displaced in Ingushetia and Dagestan. They and the general pop ulation live in a postconflict environ ment, in which the authorities recognize major weaknesses in the rule of law. Although there are signs of socioeco nomic recovery, and the expectation is that this process will continue in 2007,

the North Caucasus remains one of the poorest regions in the Russian Federation. Nearly 80% of the population in the North Caucasus region is estimat ed to live on an income below the national poverty level. Health indicators suggest deeper problems of poverty and inadequate social services. Maternal and infant mortality rates in Chechnya and Ingushetia, for example, are 24 times higher than the national average. The incidence of tuberculosis in Chechnya is ten times higher, and has increased near ly fivefold since 2001. Public infrastruc ture in Chechnya is mostly destroyed. For example, 40% of the residents of Grozny lack access to running water. The meaning of "transition" adopted for the Transitional Workplan is that of a period between the emergency and development phases, in a postconflict situation in this case, when humanitarian needs must be met and the longterm benefits of rehabilitation and recon struction have yet to be fully realized. The need on the ground in the North Caucasus is for a range of assistance proj ects in relief and development to be con ducted simultaneously for several years. It is also increasingly important that the government and civil society have full ownership of the recovery and develop ment agenda.

To best coordinate and direct their joint effort, the participants in this Workplan have set forth three strategic goals for 2007 in support of Government efforts. Sector Working Groups have developed interagency response plans reflecting the best available situation analysis and designed to achieve these goals.

- Support Government to enhance protection of the civilian population, including through protection partnerships defined in a Transitional Protection Strategy in Chechnya.

- Basic humanitarian needs are met, and vulnerability across the region is reduced through closely linked socio-economic recovery projects.

- A strategic partnership with government and local communities that reinforces their capacity for humanitarian action and development.

Some of the priority areas of humanitarian and recovery activity to be found in the Sector Response Plans are:

- micro-credit and poverty-reduction assistance;

- sustainable solutions for IDPs, including housing and employment;

- basic food relief to the most vulnerable, plus food for work and agriculture projects;

- training, technical assistance, supplementary feeding, and materiel in health and education;

- technical assistance for rebuilding water and sewage systems in Chechnya; and

- strengthening institutional capacity in the areas of governance and public sector reform.

The participating agencies planned their 2007 activities in close cooperation with the relevant government authorities. Federal, regional, and republic-level officials participated in sector-specific and strategic priority-setting meetings. Efforts continue on the part of the UN and NGOs to better coordinate their work with the government and local communities.

Because the North Caucasus remains a difficult operating environment in terms of the safety of humanitarian and development aid workers, the UN and most of its partners take exceptional security measures, including use of armed guards and escorts. It must be highlighted that this implies a high cost, reflected in the program budgets of some individual agencies but most clearly in the budget of the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS). UNDSS provides the security coverage that allows the UN to access and serve the vulnerable population throughout the region. UNDSS will face higher expenses in 2007 as the UN: a) increases the number of day missions into Chechnya; b) stations local staff in Chechnya; and c) aims to establish a UN office in Chechnya. It is of utmost importance to the success of the 2007 Transitional Workplan that donors make early commitments ensuring full funding for UNDSS.

Sections 2 and 3 of this document present a Common Action Plan for Transitional Assistance, comprising a review of progress, situation analysis, collective goals, and Sector Response Plans for 2007. In Section 4, each participating agency presents its own profile and planned activities. The overall picture of the resource requirements for this Workplan is presented on page 5.

Disaggregation of the Action Plan and the budget stops at the level of sector objectives and actions. Corresponding and detailed project proposals may be obtained directly through participating agencies.

Annexes to the Workplan include supporting information for the Action Plan, including maps of agency activities by republic and summaries of the related programs of several key partners (i.e., the EC, ICRC, and the World Bank).

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