WHO Field Report

WHO Humanitarian Assistance in the Northern Caucasus

January 1- 25, 2002

WHO Health Sector Coordination Activities Highlights:

  • WHO re-started (2002) the Health Sector coordination meetings on Tuesday’, a new weekly day. The first weekly meeting was conducted on the 15th January. In addition it was decided to a maximum of 3 meetings per month covering both Chechnya and Ingushetia republics simultaneously. –See coordination meetings notes.
  • Due to the security consideration the coordination meeting for the 29 January was cancelled. –See under security
  • Meetings will resume on weekly basis on Tuesday 5th February.
  • Islamic Relief finished the construction and opened a new polyclinic in the IDP camp Bela to serve the five thousand IDPs with round-the-clock pediatric and therapist aid. –See under Health and Nutrition
  • Hammer Forum e. V. will temporary suspend their activities during the month of February due to registration constraints in the Russian Federation. The NGO will use the time to assess the needs for the rehabilitation of Grozny’ Children policlinic #4 where they will continue working.
  • World Vision resumed their activities after a temporary suspension of activities also secondary to registration procedures. In addition to the previous services a psychologist has join their team.
  • As reported by UNICEF, the NGOs operating in Ingushetia and hospitals in Chechnya received from UNICEF basic drugs (WHO develop and recommended), medical consumables, UNICEF MCH kits and hygiene items (soap, washing powder), disinfectant (chloramine, medifox) and sanitary materials to NGOs and governmental partners in both republics.

Health and Nutrition

General

  • During this winter as expected due to the season the most common diseases among the displaced population and residents are upper respiratory tract infectious (i.e. bronchitis) and cardiovascular diseases (hypertension). WHO field staff has seen an increase number of male genitourinary disorders (prostatits, urethritis) as reported by the NGOs.

Communicable Diseases

  • To increase the response capacity of theIngushetian SES against infectious diseases WHO provided disinfectionclothes (10), antigas masks (10) and portable disinfection devices (3) to the Republican SES Nazran. In addition microbiological culture media is on its way.
  • The Republican SES Chechnya also received disinfection clothes (20),antigas masks (10) and portable disinfection devices (10).
  • WHO has started negotiations with the Federal MoH to join and agree onfuture support to SES Chechnya in order to increase efficiency and to avoidduplication.
  • As reported by UNICEF, to get rid of the hospital hazard waste, PHO is planning to build incinerators during the next phase of the UNICEF programme. As discussed with UNICEF and WHO this will add to reduce risk of infectious diseases in the IDP settlements in Ingushetia and in Chechnya.

Mother and Child Healthcare (MCH)

  • International Medical Corps (IMC) WHO implementing partner, is operating 33 health-post under the MoH of Ingushetia and spontaneous settlements. IMC has been providing help to 13,387 beneficiaries in their health facilities. Following the results of UNICEF nutrition survey carried out last summer, dealing with breast-feeding and healthier nutritional habits will be developed. In addition WHO will provide guidelines for breastfeeding in HIV infected, Hepatitis and active TB mothers.

HIV/AIDS Prevention

As part of WHO plan for 2002 meetings with the Anti-AIDS center in Ingushetia has already prove to be productive. A form was created to report the number of HIV register cases by gender, age and origin. A summary of the last 3 years will be available in the next coming weeks.

  • HIV/AIDS educational literature and posters were distributed to Anti-AIDS center, the NGOs and the MoH of Ingushetia as part of WHO awareness strategy.

Tuberculosis

  • During the week of January 21-25 WHO conducted a training course for general doctors and doctor assistants in “The Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculosis”. The second part of the training course will be completed on January 28-30 and a full report will follow.

Mental Health

  • In late December WHO in close cooperation with SDR and the Nestle concernwas able to distribute 150 boxes of Chocolate to TB patients in Ingushetiaand to the children of the WHO sponsored Psychosocial rehabilitation centerfor children in Grozny as New Years gift.
  • In late December the humanitarian supply for the two psychiatric hospital inChechnya consisting of hygienic articles, building material, underwear,mattresses and bed sheets was distributed to the hospitals. WHO was able tomanage a joint effort of UNHCR, UNICEF and ICRC to improve winterization ofthese hospitals.
  • Negotiations with WFP are ongoing to include both hospitalsinto the "Institutional feeding program". Furthermore, WHO is in closecontact with MSF-H, which is supporting hospitals in the Achkhoi-Martanregion.
  • In early January the ordered material for the support of the existingchildren psycho-social rehabilitation center arrived in Nazran and will bedistributed together with specialized psychological literature at the MentalHealth Coordination meeting 31st of January.
  • As reported by UNICEF, CARE International is starting an assessment of the so-called “drop-out” IDP children, to evaluate their number, characteristics and eventually psychosocial problems. Together with the psychosocial support to mine victims, the results of the survey will be used to finalized the design of a joint UNICEF/CARE project for this year, involving also local NGOs.
  • Games and sport equipment aswell as the electronical equipment was chosen to support the psychologicaltherapies used and recommended by leading psychologists in Russia andabroad.
  • WHO has started the preparation of an annual assessment report on mentalhealth in Ingushetia, and is asking the NGOs and the MoH RI to contributewith experiences and statistics.

Prosthesis

  • WHO agreed with the Vladikavkaz Prosthetic workshop to extent theircooperation and to organize and realize prosthetic assistance for about 40adult amputees from Chechnya.The joint WHO/UNICEF program on serving 60 children mine victims withprosthesis is nearly finalized.

Security: (as per UNSECOORD)

In light of the upcoming Presidential elections on 27th January (Sunday) 2002 in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania the following precautionary security measures are recommended to reduce the risk to UN staff and property.

No missions be undertaken to Vladikavkaz (Republic of North Ossetia-Alania) from Friday 25th until Tuesday 29th January 2002 (both days inclusive).

In Vladikavkaz, during the specified period, (25-29 January) one international Security Officer and one international UNHCR staff member will stay, the other UN International staff(s), one International Security Officer and Consultants if required, will work out of NAZRAN (Republic of Ingushetia) including overnight. Other UN international staff(s) may, as approved by their respective Agency Representatives, work out of Stavropol /Moscow.

There will be no scheduled movements between Vladikavkaz and Nazran and movements in Vladikavkaz AOR will also be restricted during this period.

In the rare event of any exigency of relocation, staff will use the MAGAS airport in the Republic of Ingushetia to fly to Moscow.

On 29 January, or before, another security advisory will be issued to notify the updated security situation and recommendation(s), if any.

During this month, several explosions has taken place and due to mopping-up operations in areas west and north of the capital Grozny, the arrival to Ingushetia of IDPs formerly repatriated to Argun had increase.

Other issues:

I- His Excellency Mr. Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Visited the Russian Federation 15-17 January.

  • He met Foreign Minister Ivanov, Minister of Interior Gryzlov, Minister Yelagin, and visited the Republic of Ingushetia. He called on the Russian Government to ensure that all Chechens receive proper documents and suggested to reduce the number of checkpoints in Chechnya. He stressed the need for the UN to be more present in Chechnya.
  • On Wednesday, 16 January the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Ruud Lubbers visited the Republic of Ingushetia. The High Commissioner (HC) chaired a meeting with UN staff after visiting several camps and IDP settlements.
  • The representatives of each agency have the chance to speak up and express views on the situation of IDPs in Ingushetia. In regards to the HC two main concerns, the safe and voluntary return of the IDP and the continuous and improve accessibility of the humanitarian aid, UNHCR representative covered the issue of a safety return and WHO presented the poor healthy living standard conditions of the IDP.
  • WHO also addressed the issue of the “international attention” (priority) being shifted to Afghanistan. UNICEF and WFP representatives supported WHO concerns and the HC answer was, “the light will no go out”, in regards to the Chechen IDPs situation. In addition a call was made to address the issue of 29000 Georgian refugees in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.
  • The High Commissioner also held talks with the Federal entities in the NC, the local government and the former President Aushev.

II- UNICEF Regional Representative of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine Visit

  • On 17, 18 January UNICEF’s representative, Ms Rosemary McCreery visited the Northern Caucasus to follow up her organization programme implementation. A planned visit to Grozny has to be cancelled due to security related reasons denying the UN access to the Republic.
  • WHO has joined the aborted mission as one the points to be visited was Hospital #9 in Grozny.

Jorge Martinez, MD

North Caucasus Field Coordinator