• Text size Normal size text | Increase text size by 10% | Increase text size by 20% | Increase text size by 30%

UNHCR concerned about IDP backlash after attack in Ingushetia

News Stories, 16 July 2004

© UNHCR/V.Sokolova
This Chechen family was told by their landlord to leave their temporary settlement because their utility bills were not paid by the authorities as agreed.

GENEVA, July 16 (UNHCR) – The UN refugee agency has raised concerns about hostile reactions and pressure on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ingushetia following the June 21 attack that killed some 90 people in the Russian republic.

Some 50 IDPs were temporarily detained in the aftermath of the attack, but most of them have since been released. Five remain in detention, where they have been formally charged by the security services.

"Police operations and ID checks are still continuing in the temporary settlements, but we have not heard of any recent complaints of improper behaviour," said UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond at a news briefing in Geneva Friday.

Of the approximately 50,000 IDPs from Chechnya who are currently living in Ingushetia, about half are ethnic Chechens while the rest are ethnic Ingush. Some 28,000 who are living in private accommodation have remained largely unaffected by the backlash, while some of the 24,000 living in 181 temporary settlements have faced pressure in different forms.

"It was reported that some local officials were applying heavy psychological pressure on IDPs to return home," said Redmond. "Local landowners, and in some cases local officials as well, threatened to evict IDPs from a number of settlements."

While only one settlement – MTF Altievo, where the five detainees were living – has been closed so far, 20 others hosting 7,800 IDPs are either under threat of eviction or are affected by utility cuts.

"As with the closure of the tented camps – the last of which was shut down in early June – the litmus test for voluntary return is the availability of alternative accommodation inside Ingushetia," added the UNHCR spokesman. "It seems that in some cases where eviction is still threatened, no alternative has been proposed apart from return to Chechnya."

The refugee agency has raised its concerns with the authorities in Ingushetia and Moscow. But its ability to intervene in Ingushetia has been hampered by the fact that its international staff have not been able to return to the republic since they were relocated to other parts of the Russian Federation after the June 21 attack.

"While some international NGO staff resumed working in Ingushetia at the end of June, UN international staff – including UNHCR – are still not back, since the authorities say they do not have sufficient armed guards to guarantee their safety," said Redmond. "UNHCR hopes that this situation will be resolved shortly, especially after a planned return of international staff this Wednesday once again failed to happen for the same reason."

Local UNHCR and NGO staff on the ground managed to resume monitoring in the settlements at the end of June. As of earlier this week, they had visited 54 settlements that together host some 18,000 IDPs.

In a gesture of support, the Head of the Ingush Migration Service visited several temporary settlements last week and reassured the IDPs there that the Migration Service would continue to support them.

Between 3,500 and 4,000 IDPs are estimated to have returned or applied to return to Chechnya since June 22 – only slightly higher than the high-end average monthly return.

• DONATE NOW • • GET INVOLVED • • STAY INFORMED •

 

Related stories by:

UNHCR country pages

Internally Displaced People

The internally displaced seek safety in other parts of their country, where they need help.

Related Internet Links

UNHCR is not responsible for the content and availability of external internet sites

Ingushetia: Internally Displaced Chechens

When fighting broke out between government troops and rebel forces in Chechnya in 1999, over 200,000 people fled the republic, most of them to the neighbouring republic of Ingushetia. Today, tens of thousands of Chechens remain displaced in Ingushetia, unwilling to go home because of continuing security concerns.

As of early December 2003, some 62,000 displaced Chechens were living in temporary settlements or in private accommodation. Those living in settlements face constant threats of eviction, often by owners who wish to use their buildings again.

Another 7,900 displaced Chechens live in tents in three remaining camps – Satsita, Sputnik, and Bart.

The authorities have repeatedly called for the closure of tent camps and the return of the displaced people to Chechnya. Three camps have been closed in the past year – Iman camp at Aki Yurt, "Bella" or B camp, and "Alina" or A camp. Chechens from the latter two camps who did not wish to go home were allowed to move to Satsita camp or other existing temporary settlements in Ingushetia.

Ingushetia: Internally Displaced Chechens

Displacement in Georgia

Tens of thousands of civilians are living in precarious conditions, having been driven from their homes by the crisis in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.

On the morning of August 12, the first UNHCR-chartered plane carrying emergency aid arrived in the Georgian capital Tbilisi, the first UN assistance to arrive in the country since fighting broke out the previous week. The airlift brought in 34 tonnes of tents, jerry cans, blankets and kitchen sets from UNHCR's central emergency stockpile in Dubai. Items were then loaded onto trucks at the Tbilisi airport for transport and distribution.

A second UNHCR flight landed in Tbilisi on August 14, with a third one expected to arrive the following day. In addition, two UNHCR aid flights are scheduled to leave for Vladikavkaz in the Russian Federation the following week with mattresses, water tanks and other supplies for displaced South Ossetians.

Working with local partners, UNHCR is now providing assistance to the most vulnerable and needy. These include many young children and family members separated from one another. The situation is evolving rapidly and the refugee agency is monitoring the needs of the newly displaced population, which numbered some 115,000 on August 14.

Posted on 15 August 2008

Displacement in Georgia

Sri Lanka: IDPs and Returnees

During Sri Lanka's 20-year civil war more than 1 million people were uprooted from their homes or forced to flee, often repeatedly. Many found shelter in UNHCR-supported Open Relief Centers, in government welfare centers or with relatives and friends.

In February 2002, the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) signed a cease-fire accord and began a series of talks aimed at negotiating a lasting peace. By late 2003, more than 300,000 internally displaced persons had returned to their often destroyed towns and villages.

In the midst of these returns, UNHCR provided physical and legal protection to war affected civilians – along with financing a range of special projects to provide new temporary shelter, health and sanitation facilities, various community services, and quick and cheap income generation projects.

Sri Lanka: IDPs and Returnees

Vincent Cochetel interviewPlay video

Vincent Cochetel interview

On the occasion of World Humanitarian Day 2010, a senior UNHCR staff member reflects on his experience being kidnapped near Chechnya in 1998.
UN High Commissioner Visits Georgia and RussiaPlay video

UN High Commissioner Visits Georgia and Russia

UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres spent four days in Georgia and the Russian Federation to assess UNHCR's humanitarian operations and to speak with those affected by the recent fighting in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.