Russian Government Coverup in Chechnya
I received Doctors Without Borders’ April e-newsletter several days ago. Doctors Without Borders was forced to suspend their operations in Chechnya because their volunteers have been kidnapped in the North Caucasus. Many Chechen refugees had fled to neighboring Ingushetia. At one point, 180,000 Chechens had fled to that region. Chechens have put pressure on the Russian government to let them return to Chechnya, and, as of February, only 34,000 of them remained in Ingushetia. With the massive return to a city such as Grozny, which is in ruins, Doctors Without Borders decided to resume its operations in Chechnya. Denis Lemasson, the program manager for the region, was the first to return.
Lemasson found that the Russian government’s claims that the situation is becoming normalized are misleading. He felt that the war is still going on, but with different methods. The number of deaths remains the same and may even be increasing. Cleansing operations which used to be aimed at whole villages have been more carefully targeted. The Russian military presence remains at 80,000 troops. In addition, the people are afraid of warring Chechen militias which have sprung up.
The security situation is such that international volunteers cannot maintain a presence in Chechnya and are limited to short, irregular visits. This compounds the problem of addressing the poor living conditions. The area experienced an unusually cold winter. People found it difficult to stay warm. In temporary shelters, the only source of heat was electric heaters, but there was an irregular power supply. Many people did not have access to showers or toilets, and some people had to buy water. Lemasson also disputed the ministry of health’s contention that the health system was improving in Chechnya. There are only enough hospital supplies to meet 40-50 percent of the needs, he alleged. The Grozny maternity ward and the burn unit depend completely on Doctors Without Borders for their supplies.
Lemasson felt that the Russian government has done nothing to make Chechnya a liveable place for the returning refugees and that the conditions they face upon their return are worse than those they faced in Ingushetia. He stated that, "The disastrous sanitary conditions, like the stressful setting, are linked to an ‘active’ conflict, which is far from the so-called ‘normalization’ that Russian authorities describe.
From "Voices from the Field, Return to Grozny," February 10, 2005, Doctors Without Borders April 2005 e-newsletter.
Lemasson found that the Russian government’s claims that the situation is becoming normalized are misleading. He felt that the war is still going on, but with different methods. The number of deaths remains the same and may even be increasing. Cleansing operations which used to be aimed at whole villages have been more carefully targeted. The Russian military presence remains at 80,000 troops. In addition, the people are afraid of warring Chechen militias which have sprung up.
The security situation is such that international volunteers cannot maintain a presence in Chechnya and are limited to short, irregular visits. This compounds the problem of addressing the poor living conditions. The area experienced an unusually cold winter. People found it difficult to stay warm. In temporary shelters, the only source of heat was electric heaters, but there was an irregular power supply. Many people did not have access to showers or toilets, and some people had to buy water. Lemasson also disputed the ministry of health’s contention that the health system was improving in Chechnya. There are only enough hospital supplies to meet 40-50 percent of the needs, he alleged. The Grozny maternity ward and the burn unit depend completely on Doctors Without Borders for their supplies.
Lemasson felt that the Russian government has done nothing to make Chechnya a liveable place for the returning refugees and that the conditions they face upon their return are worse than those they faced in Ingushetia. He stated that, "The disastrous sanitary conditions, like the stressful setting, are linked to an ‘active’ conflict, which is far from the so-called ‘normalization’ that Russian authorities describe.
From "Voices from the Field, Return to Grozny," February 10, 2005, Doctors Without Borders April 2005 e-newsletter.
posted by Theodosia @ 6:36 AM
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