UN READY TO INCREASE WORK IN CHECHNYA

UN READY TO INCREASE WORK IN CHECHNYA

NEW YORK, 27 January (OCHA) -- Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), arrived in Chechnya from Moscow last night.  In Grozny, the Under-Secretary-General met today with government officials and discussed coordination issues.  He visited three sites in Grozny:  a temporary accommodation centre for returnees, a childcare centre that provides psychological assistance to disabled children and mine victims, and a maternity hospital.

Mr. Egeland noted that substantial numbers of people are now returning from Ingushetia to Chechnya and that the United Nations stood ready to increase its work in Chechnya.  “This is a decisive hour for humanitarian work and the future of internally displaced persons in Ingushetia”, Egeland said.

Humanitarian conditions in Chechnya, he noted, are precarious, and the security environment difficult.  There is, moreover, a major lack of housing for those who return.  Authorities in Chechnya told Mr. Egeland that they would ensure that conditions are adequate for people to return.

Mr. Egeland then travelled to Nazran, Ingushetia, where he met President Murat Vyazikov.  Mr. Egeland emphasized that all returns from Ingushetia to Chechnya be voluntary.  The President offered his assurances that involuntary return would not occur and that no camps would be forcibly closed.

The Under-Secretary-General visited three tent camps of internally displaced persons in Ingushetia.  He expressed concern that some displaced say they feel pressure to return to Chechnya.

Yesterday, in a meeting in Moscow with Mr. Ilyasov, Federal Minister for Chechen Affairs, Mr. Egeland stressed that the United Nations would like to see internally displaced persons return to their homes, to receive assistance in Chechnya, and to live there in peace.  He also met with Sergey Shoigu, Minister for Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Elimination of the Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM).  He appreciated EMERCOM’s work and stressed the importance of furthering cooperation with EMERCOM and including the Russian Federation into the group of non-traditional donors.

After returning to Moscow today for further meetings, the Under-Secretary-General will visit Ukraine and Belarus on the next leg of his mission, countries that suffer from the effects of the Chernobyl disaster.

In his capacity as the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Egeland is the principal adviser to the Secretary-General on humanitarian issues and is responsible for coordination of relief efforts in response to natural and man-made disasters.

For further information, please contact the United Nations designated public information officer on this issue, Victoria Zotikova, at tel.: 7 095 956 64 05.

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