Restoring family links

Between October and December 2007, the ICRC:

• sponsored 110 family visits to detainees in the Russian Federation;
• shared its concern with the authorities about the issue of persons missing in connection with the situation in the northern Caucasus, and advocated a national system to prevent people from becoming unaccounted for and to provide answers to the families of missing persons.

Given the economic recovery currently under way in the three northern Caucasus republics, the ICRC decided to stop its relief distributions and to concentrate on repairing and upgrading vital facilities. The last ICRC aid to economically vulnerable people (18,300 persons in total) was supplied in October/November.

Micro-economic initiatives

As reconstruction picked up, the ICRC moved from emergency aid to programmes aimed at recovery and sustainability, launching micro-economic projects for an increasing number of beneficiaries in Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia. Between October and December, 131 families in Chechnya, 30 in Ingushetia and 24 in Dagestan were provided with equipment to start a family business.

Medical aid

As the Chechen health system was increasingly funded by the federal and local authorities, the ICRC slightly reduced its aid deliveries to hospitals throughout the year. By the end of 2007, the organization had ended its deliveries to medical facilities in Chechnya. Support for the Grozny prosthetic/orthotic centre and training of Chechen technicians both continued.

From October to December, the ICRC:

• supplied seven Chechen hospitals with medicines, reagents, consumables and other items;
• donated blood-analysis supplies to the blood bank in Grozny;
• provided medical equipment and instruments for hospital-based transfusion units;
• sponsored four medical professionals to attend a course;
• supported training of staff at the Grozny limb-fitting and rehabilitation centre.

Water and sanitation

The ICRC improves living conditions by working to ensure adequate water supplies, sanitation, and housing and by helping local public utilities provide those services.

Between October and December, the ICRC:

• carried out seven projects to restore or expand the water supply in the villages of Tevzana, Itum-Kale, Tsa-Vedeno, Zamay-Yurt, Agishbatoy, Kakadoy and Ersenoy;
• renovated consultation rooms at the blood bank in Grozny;
• supplied schools and other institutions in rural Chechnya with 141 gas heaters;
• laid nearly five kilometres of pipe to complete the water-supply extension in Karabulak (Ingushetia);
• carried out two projects, in Gamurzievo and in Nesterovskaya villages (Ingushetia), to ensure adequate water supply;
• in conjunction with the Ingush branch of the Russian Red Cross, carried out work in five communities to improve shelter, water supply and sanitation;
• completed two projects in the Novoselskoe (Khasavyurtovsky district) and Novogeorgievka (Tarumovsky district) in Dagestan, to provide access to running water for some 6,300 persons;
• did upgrading work in four communities and repaired shelters, water and sanitation facilities, and gas-supply equipment.

The mine-action programme helps civilians to avoid accidents caused by unexploded mines and other devices. The ICRC promotes the creation of special areas where children can play safely.

Between October and December, the ICRC:

• set up four safe-play areas in Saysan, Zandak, Rubezhnoe and Kurdyukovskaya villages;
• supplied drawing sets to 10 schools in Nozhay-Yurt, Shali and Vedeno districts as part of the "Mine Danger Murals" project for children;
• helped produce three TV-news items on mine-related issues.

Working with the authorities, army and civilians (including schools and universities) to promote compliance with international humanitarian law is a key part of the ICRC's work in Russia.

Between October and December, the ICRC:

• held a competition in knowledge of the law for 24 law students from Southern Federal District Universities;
• made presentations to 46 students of the law and journalism faculties at Chechen State University, as well as to 16 at the Vladikavkaz Teachers' Training Institute;
• conducted a seminar for 25 in the social studies departments of the advance teacher-training institutes;

• a competition about knowledge of the law for 27 cadets at Suvorov military schools;

• Senezh courses on international humanitarian law in the Moscow region for 46 Ministry of Defence officers and cadets and for another 30 people in Dagestan and Ingushetia;

• a seminar for high level officers of the MOD with the title "International Humanitarian Law and the Armed Forces in the 21st Century", held in Moscow and attracting 37 participants;

• a first-ever decentralized IHL "Train the Trainer" course in Chita, Headquarters of the Siberian military District for 33 officers;

• presentations on the law for 245 officers, NCOs and soldiers of Ministry of Interior and Interior Troops in Chechnya, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachaevo-Cherkessia and Stavropol region.

Cooperation with the Russian Red Cross

In addition to its support for tracing and promotion of international humanitarian law at Russian Red Cross headquarters , the ICRC finances aid programmes at the Society's branches in the Russia's Southern Federal District (Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, Kalmykia, Adygea, Karachaevo-Cherkessia, Ingushetia, Chechnya, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria and North Ossetia).

Twice a year, the ICRC supports the nursing home-visit programme by distributing food parcels and hygiene kits through the Russian Red Cross in the district (where nearly 200 Red Cross nurses provide care for over 2,300 elderly persons.

Between October and December, the ICRC:

• supported 300 children in temporary accommodation centres in Grozny and another 500 children of displaced families in three settlements in Ingushetia, where they learn and play under the supervision of psychologists and teachers;
• aided nearly a hundred teenagers who regularly visit the Red Cross recreational centre in Grozny, and another 180 at the Red Cross centre in Nazran, supporting them for computer, English and handcraft classes as well as sports and library services.