HIGHLIGHTS
Launch of Update to the 2006 Transitional Workplan (TWP) was held in Moscow on 5 July. The Update focuses on four crosscutting issues that are of central importance to realization of the goals of the Transitional Workplan. Those issues include the security situation, changes in the Food Security and Agriculture Sector, IDP durable solutions, and socioeconomic recovery. It was stressed at the launch that the mid-year 43% funding of the TWP is among the best levels of CAPs worldwide. However, funding disparities among agencies, and particularly non-funding of NGOs have to be addressed. Representatives of the Russian federal and regional governments, donors, NGOs, UN agencies and the media attended the event.
Protection Mission to the North Caucasus: Dennis McNamara, the Director of the Internal Displacement Division and Special Adviser to the Emergency Relief Coordinator, visited Russia on 4-11 July to lead an inter-agency review and offer advice toward finalization of the Protection Strategy for Chechnya.
Donor Mission to the North Caucasus: On 10-17 July, ECHO mission to the North Caucasus was held.
HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE
Protection
As of 31 July, 22,054 IDPs (5,024 families) from Chechnya were registered for assistance in Ingushetia in the database of UNHCR's implementing partner DRC. Of these, 8,059 (1,782 families) were in temporary settlements (TS), and 13,995 (3,242 families) in private accommodation. Vesta reported individual returns of 14 families from Ingushetia to Chechnya via Adler and Spartak checkpoints. Migration services of Ingushetia and Chechnya continued verification of the presence of IDPs in TSs and private accommodation in Ingushetia. Chechen authorities conducted a vigorous campaign in Ingushetia to promote the return of IDPs. Incentives promised included the provision of rooms in temporary accommodation centers (TACs), allocation of flats and land plots and the acceleration of compensation for destroyed housing. However, the actual availability of vacant rooms to returnees was unclear. IDPs were also invited to apply for shelter assistance (box-tents) to the international community, in particular UNHCR.
An agreement was reached with the Ombudsman of Chechnya to create a Protection Working Group to share information, bring cases of human rights violations to the Ombudsman, implement joint monitoring activities and discuss issues of concern to the conflict-affected population. The Group would consist of members of Parliament, representatives of the Ministry of National Policies, other governmental bodies, the Forced Migrant Committee, local NGOs, including Legal Counseling Centers (LCC) and the UN.
The Migration Department of North Ossetia-Alania reported 99 refugees (incl. 95 from Georgia) and 18,654 forced migrants (incl. 16,396 from Georgia) living in the republic. To facilitate the integration of the most vulnerable, UNHCR with its implementing partner NGO "Children's Fund of North Ossetia" surveyed some 900 families in 50 collective centers to identify options for permanent shelter.
The 11 UNHCR-supported LLCs in Chechnya and Ingushetia provided consultations to IDPs and residents of the two republics, bringing the total consultations in 2006 to 3,753, out of which 80% in the 9 LLCs in Chechnya. Some LLCs in Chechnya reported an increased number of citizens sued by the government for alleged submission of fraudulent documents or declarations for compensations. LLCs in Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkesia, North Ossetia and Stavropol Krai provided 839 consultations.
The UNHCR Protection and Community Services Units conducted training on sexual and gender-based violence and the principle of confidentiality for all staff engaged in protection monitoring in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
Food Security and Agriculture
In July, in the framework of general food distribution, WFP through its implementing partners DRC, CHA and IR delivered about 768 tons of food commodities to 76,678 beneficiaries in four Districts of Chechnya; and some 195 tons of food to 1,954 IDPs in Ingushetia. Besides, DRC distributed 1,183.8 tons of food rations (flour, salt, oil and sugar) to 51,244 beneficiaries in Chechnya (Kurchaloy, Nozhay-Yurt, Urus-Martan and Shali Districts).
Due to summer vacations, the food for education programme in Chechnya continued only in 11 boarding schools and 23 schools where zero-grade classes were organized by UNICEF during the summer period. Leftovers from the implementation of the project in May were collected from primary and secondary schools and passed over to pre- and boarding schools to implement FFE in June-August.
136 participants (representing 680 beneficiaries) of WFP's agricultural project on sugar beetroot production completed the second weeding cycle, and 249 participants (1,245 beneficiaries) started the third weeding cycle. In addition, 20 participants implemented vegetable growing project in Achkhoy-Martan District; 30 new workers started two small apple orchard projects in Urus-Martan District; and 20 food for work participants were involved in repairs of charity canteen and administrative buildings.
WFP released 14 tons of food to support the Dining Hall, where some 1,600 most vulnerable Grozny residents receive hot meals daily. WFP, Caritas and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection plan to open three new canteens in September in order to distribute the beneficiaries geographically to four canteens. 10 tons of food were provided within the TB programme to 345 in- and outpatients in Chechnya through MFS-Holland.
Under its agricultural project, DRC finalized distribution of materials for construction of poultry houses for seven households in Shaami-Yurt and 17 in Samashki, Chechnya.
Shelter
During the month, UNHCR provided 24 box-tents to IDP families voluntarily returning to Chechnya and 12 to IDPs choosing to remain in Ingushetia (11 to Chechnya IDPs and one to Prigorodny IDPs), bringing the total distribution since the inception of the program to 1,898 box-tents.
Under UNHCR's permanent shelter activities for IDPs from Chechnya and Prigorodny willing to integrate in Ingushetia, the selection was completed for 15 key-in-hand houses in addition to the 7 key-in-hand and 20 self-help houses already under construction. In North Ossetia, work on 7 key-in-hand houses also continued. In Chechnya, together with DRC, selection was completed for possible additional beneficiaries to the 65 families already provided with shelter materials under the "One Warm Dry Room" programme.
DRC began distribution of construction materials for 38 self-help houses for IDP families integrating in Ingushetia. SDC continued its permanent shelter programmes in Ingushetia and North Ossetia, while Caritas, ICRC and IRC carry out shelter rehabilitation in Chechnya. DRC also conducts rehabilitation of schools in Grozny (no. 32) and Katyr-Yurt.
Health
Within its Expanded Programme for Immunization (EPI), which aims at increasing the coverage and quality of the immunization services for children in Chechnya and Ingushetia, UNICEF completed the procurement of 314,180 disposable syringes to be distributed to five district hospitals in Ingushetia and 16 health facilities in Chechnya. Also, 20,000 specific notebooks for pediatricians containing basic anthropometric and psychometric information for young children will be distributed to specialists working in mother-and-child health facilities of the two republics.
Mother Empowerment Project (MEP) conducted in cooperation with Ministries of Health of Ingushetia and Chechnya, is aimed at raising mothers' awareness about breastfeeding, immunization and early recognition of common child illnesses. During the reporting period, UNICEF through its implementing partners targeted 392 women in Ingushetia and 374 women in Chechnya.
In the framework of its Young People's Health, Development and Participation (YPDP) project, UNICEF and its partners continued to strengthen the work of the three existing Youth Friendly Clinics providing access to high quality health services for young people, including counseling on reproductive health, family planning and HIV/STI prevention. Also, UNICEF funded the participation in a "Summer School for Volunteers" in Barnaul (Russian Federation) of eight young people involved in youth information centers' activities in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
Following the alarming increase in the number of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever in the Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation, WHO ensured constant monitoring of the situation. WHO continued implementation of Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) programme in Chechnya and conducted a ten-day training course on IMCI for 20 health workers (paediatricians, paramedics and nurses) in the Vedeno District of Chechnya. On 13 July, WHO and ECHO conducted a mission to the Vedeno District and visited state health facilities in Vedeno, Elistanzhi, Khattuni and Mahkety villages to monitor implementation of WHO IMCI training courses. WHO continued delivering (with WFP support) food commodities to the Republican TB hospital in Nazran, Ingushetia.
Education
UNICEF began procuring stationery and school furniture for schools in Ingushetia to facilitate the integration of some 1,500 IDP children, who had attended 12 'parallel' schools supported by UNICEF and international NGOs since 2000. In Chechnya, some of the 25 Early Childhood Education (ECE) centers hosting 1,250 vulnerable pre-school age children were closed for one week for minor refurbishment and repair works. In 10 ECE centers located mainly in remote areas of Chechnya, UNICEF partner, NGO "Open Continent", prepared 490 children for entering the school as of 1 September and provided them with stationery and school-bags. Besides, on 1 July, 120 boys and girls entered vocational training courses in carpentry and tailoring. The project is implemented by the NGO "Serlo", which is an implementing partner to UNICEF. Parallel to this, participants of the vocational training courses and other young people living in the area receive training on psychosocial support and prevention of alcohol, smoking and drugs abuse.
DRC distributed visual aids and teaching materials to 23 schools in Chechnya. Besides, a trip to an attraction park in Achkhoy-Martan was organized for 250 children from vulnerable households. In Dagestan, 30 IDPs from Chechnya (children and adults) were sent to the recreational area "Manas" in the town of Kaspiysk for six days.
Peace and Tolerance
During the month, UNICEF conducted two regional events in Dagestan in cooperation with regional Ministries of Education and Youth Committees. The Regional Youth Peace-Building Conference gathered some 60 specialists from Volgograd Oblast, Stavropol Krai, Dagestan, North Ossetia, Chechnya and Ingushetia. The event was dedicated to tolerance building, conflict resolution and intercultural dialogue of adolescents and youth. The participants prepared a draft Manual on Peace Education for Youth Workers. UNICEF made a commitment to develop and distribute the draft to all regional ministries and committees dealing with youth issues.
On 24-26 July, Mr. Carel de Rooy, UNICEF Representative for the Russian Federation and Belarus, attended the closing ceremony of a summer camp organized in Dagestan by UNICEF in cooperation with republican Ministries of Education and Youth Policy. Over 130 children from Chechnya, Ingushetia, North Ossetia and Dagestan participated in the camp activities, aimed at improvement of intercultural communication between children of the region and introducing the basics of Peace and Tolerance Education. Mr. de Rooy met representatives of the Government of Dagestan to discuss the current level of cooperation and plans for future PETE program in the region.
Water and Sanitation
UNICEF, through the partner PHO, continued to produce and distribute safe drinking water to around 117,000 beneficiaries in hospitals, schools, kindergartens and private sector of Grozny through 245 distribution points located in four districts of the City. The average water production and distribution capacity reached 664 m3 a day. In parallel, UNICEF, PHO and "Grozvodokanal" (local water provider) moved forward in the preparation for the handover to the latter, by end-2006, of the management of the water purification/distribution project.
In Chechnya, DRC installed a main water pipeline to connect the village of Zony to two natural water springs. Construction of another water-supply line is planned in Urus-Martan village.
PHO continued garbage disposal program in Chechnya. Three PHO garbage trucks served around 92 locations in health care and educational facilities as well as TACs. 1700 m3 of garbage and 360m3 of sewage were removed in July. Additionally, 11 garbage container sites in TACs, health and educational institutions in Grozny were built.
Mine Action
UNICEF, through the Chechen Branch of the Society for the Disabled, organized vocational training courses in tailoring and computer skills for 60 mine/UXO-affected children from Chechnya. The partner of UNICEF, NGO "Voice of the Mountains", continues the implementation of the project to assist mine/UXO survivors. In July, 14 of them completed treatment at the Grozny Prosthetic Workshop with the provision of prosthetic appliances. The same number of children received physiotherapy treatment at the Republican Clinical Hospital in Grozny. The partner of UNICEF, NGO "Let's Save the Generation", continued to support activities of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Center in Grozny. Some 58 children from Shali and Grozny received individual and group counseling. Also, the UNICEF-supported football team of mine-survivors took part in the All-Russia Championship of Football for the Disabled in Volgograd.
Danish Demining Group (DRC partner) continued Mine Risk Education program in Chechnya. MRE instructors covered the total of 8,139 persons (education in mine risks, dissemination of information and visual aids - calendars, leaflets and booklets).
Funding of Humanitarian Operation
The Financial Tracking System (FTS) database for the 2006 Transitional Workplan for the North Caucasus was created in April and is now publicly available at: http://ocha.unog.ch/fts/reports/reportlist.asp?section=CE&record_ID=714.
From the date of the last Information Bulletin until the date of this Bulletin donors recorded the following new contributions in the FTS:
Description | Decision date | Donor country | Appealing Agency | Amount in USD |
Protection programmes | 27.07.2006 | Switzerland | UNHCR | 619,835 |
Food Aid | 11.08.2006 | United Kingdom | WFP | 17,458 |
TOTAL | 637,293 |
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2006
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