12.10.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Food aid to Chechnya in jeopardy because of funding shortages ("Food Aid To Chechnya, Azerbaijan In Jeopardy") [ID 17317]

"Food aid in Russia's Chechnya and in neighboring Azerbaijan is dwindling because of funding shortages and could run out within weeks. Jean Ziegler, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food, said international assistance for displaced persons in Chechnya could be cut entirely by the end of the month."

Document(s): Open document

03.08.2006 - Source: Memorial Human Rights Center

World Food Program needs 22 million dollars to feed about 250,000 Chechens with no means to sustain their lives, but has only collected 28 percent of required funds ("On the Situation of Residents of Chechnya in the Russian Federation (July 2005-July 2006)") [ID 17636]

"On July 13, 2006, Koryun Alaverdyan, United Nations World Food Program’s (WFP) Deputy Country Director in the Russian Federation, said that there was only three month’s supply of food left for Chechen refugees and displaced persons. The United Nations News Service has noted that the WFP needs 22 million dollars to feed about 250,000 Chechens, who in the aftermath of the military conflict had to leave their homes or simply had no means to sustain their lives. However, the UN Program’s officials have managed to collect only 28% of the required funds. The WFP has been experiencing financial difficulties in Chechnya since early 2006. Because of the lack of funds, the WFP had to confine itself to provision of the needy only with wheat flour; while earlier other foodstuffs had been distributed under the Program as well, including cereals, vegetable oil, sugar and salt."

Document(s): Russian-language report
English-language report

02.03.2006 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Living conditions in Grozny still not normalising; infrastructure in tatters, breakdown in water supplies ("Grozny Residents Still in Dark Age") [#45578],  [ID 16718]

"Although the Russian government has declared that “major military operations” in Chechnya are over and that the situation is “normalising”, the people here continue to suffer as if the war never ended and say that no authorities, either federal or local, are looking after their basic needs. Many districts were affiliated with a particular factory or enterprise, which looked after basic services for the local population. The Oktyabrneft gas and oil concern, for example, was based in the 56th district and maintained the electricity and water supply. When the second Chechen conflict broke out in 2000, however, many of these enterprises shut down. A reorganisation of Chechnya’s economic management system added to the confusion. The war left the city’s infrastructure in tatters. City districts receive basic services and repairs are made according to apparently arbitrary criteria – what in other countries would be called a “postal-code lottery”. In the Zagryazhsky and Mayakovsky regions of Grozny’s Staropromyslovsky district, which was serviced by the Starogrozneft enterprise before the war, residents call themselves “water carriers”. Because of the breakdown in water supplies, families maintain small water reservoirs outside their apartment buildings, and carry the water to their homes as the need arises. To meet the demand, a number of water supply businesses have sprung up. The prices are fixed at five roubles (around 18 cents) for a flask of water and two for a bucket. As a result, an average family pays around one to 1.5 thousand roubles (35-54 US dollars) per month to receive water to their homes – an enormous amount in a region where huge numbers are unemployed. Relief organisations such as Polish Humanitarian Action and the International Committee of the Red Cross provide free water distribution, but delivery is unscheduled and can take hours at a time. When the water aid does arrive, long lines form. Nevertheless, residents say that without the international organisations’ supplies, they could perish. (...) Umar Gadayev, general director of Grozny’s water supply system, says that the problem is too little federal money for too many pipes. “It is necessary to replace the entire water supply system in the city,” he said. “The pipes are worn-out and, if they are not replaced, the water will not be able to flow.” According to Gadayev, Grozny possesses 2023 kilometres of pipes, of which only 170 have been replaced over the past years. Furthermore, the amount allocated to rehabilitate the city’s water network is constantly decreasing. In 2004 the central government provided a little more than 200 million roubles, while in 2005 this amount shrunk to 140 million, and in 2006 only 110 million are planned. “You can see that there can be no talk about replacing all of the pipes," said Gadayev."

Document(s): Open document

30.11.2005 - Source: ReliefWeb

World Food Programme (WFP) started 10th distribution cycle in November 2005, considerable shortfalls of food commodities expected in 2006, unless resources are mobilized soon ("OCHA Humanitarian action in Chechnya and Neighbouring Republics (Russian Federation) Nov 2005 (OCHA)") [#40911],  [ID 16719]

"In November, WFP jointly with cooperating partners DRC, CHA and IR started the 10th relief distribution cycle in Ingushetia and reached during the month some 7,957 target beneficiaries residing in the republic. In Chechnya the 10th distribution cycle was also started at the end of November in Groznenski rural district where through IR about 111 tons of WFP’s food commodities were distributed among 11,046 beneficiaries. In November the food for education programme continued in 411 schools covering 129,173 school children. During the reported period WFP through its cooperating partners provided 470 tons of food commodities for continuation of the programme. In November 546 participants (representing 2,730 beneficiaries) continued implementation of Food for Work (FFW) projects for improvement of local infrastructure. During the second half of November WFP through its cooperating partner CHA distributed some 17 tons of food to 154 participants (770 beneficiaries) for the works implemented in October. The rest FFW participants will receive food in December. Within the Food for Training programme 25 trainees continued attending vocational courses in hairdressing and manicuring in Grozny city. WFP also provided the Dining Hall project which assists about 1,600 vulnerable people in Grozny, with 13 tons of food. About 20 tons of food were provided to 640 TB in- and out patients covered by TB projects implemented by MSF-Holland in Chechnya and WHO in Ingushetia. As of the end of November, donations reached about 84 per cent of the funding required for the completion of the programme in December 2005. The WFP office is currently in the process of preparing the follow-up 12 months project EMOP 10128.2, starting from January 2006. Within the next six months WFP expects considerable shortfalls of food commodities, unless resources are mobilized soon."

Document(s): Open document

10.04.2004 - Source: Prima News

Chechnya: Residents of temporary settlement camp regularly received rotten food ("Mass poisoning of children in Grozny") [#21328],  [ID 16720]

"[...] In conversation with a correspondent from the Society of Russian-Chechen Friendship, the mother of one of the poisoned children stated that residents of the PVR regularly receive spoiled and rotten food from the authorities. The woman said that the source of her child’s poisoning was rotten meat."

Document(s): Open document