RUSSIA: THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY RUSSIA IN SEPTEMBER 1999 HAS LEFT MOST OF CHECHNYA IN RUINS
Record ID:
347541
RUSSIA: THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY RUSSIA IN SEPTEMBER 1999 HAS LEFT MOST OF CHECHNYA IN RUINS
- Title: RUSSIA: THE MILITARY CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED BY RUSSIA IN SEPTEMBER 1999 HAS LEFT MOST OF CHECHNYA IN RUINS
- Date: 7th May 2001
- Summary: VEDENO, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA (MAY 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV DESTROYED BUILDINGS AT VEDENO CENTRAL SQUARE 0.04 2. LV WOMEN WALKING THROUGH VEDENO STREET 0.08 3. SLV OF DESTROYED HOUSE 0.14 4. LV/SLV WOMAN PICKING BRICKS NEAR HER DESTROYED HOUSE (2 SHOTS) 0.22 5. SLV MAN CUTTING WOOD/MAN REPAIRING ROOF (2 SHOTS) 0.36
- Embargoed: 22nd May 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: VEDENO AND ARGUN, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA18XWQJJIQEPNV5N8L9UC9YLTC
- Story Text: Residents of Chechnya, who have taken a risk to return
to their war-torn homeland after spending as much as 18 months
in tent cities in neighbouring Ingushetia, found no support
from the authorities and no safety promised by the Russian
military commanders.
The Chechen village of Vedeno was heavily damaged
during the military campaign launched by Russia, in order to
crack down on a separatist uprising. The campaign, launched in
September 1999, which was heavily criticised by the Western
nations for "disproportionate" use of force, left most of the
southern Russian republic in ruins. Vedeno was not an
exception.
Half of the houses in the village were badly damaged, or
totally destroyed. Most of the villagers have fled Vedeno for
refugee camps. Those who have chosen to stay lived with no
electricity, gas or water supply. There was no help from the
authorities or humanitarian organisations which thought it was
too risky to travel to the remote mountainous village.
But, despite all the hardships and strenuous living
conditions in the village, its former residents started to
return to Vedeno, believing the government's declarations that
law and order had been restored in Chechnya and that it was
now safe to come back. Refugees were promised assistance in
rebuilding their homes and humanitarian aid.
But, so far, their expectations are turning out to be just
dreams.
"We don't get any assistance from anyone. We are not
living, we are existing. Home is home, and it's better to live
in a shelter at home rather than somewhere else. That's why we
returned. But I don't know what we are going to do and how we
are going to live," said Akhmed Tagayev who returned to Vedeno
with his family about two months ago.
In Chechen town of Argun, special shelters ready to
accommodate about 10,000 refugees were set up by the
pro-Moscow Chechen authorities. And transportation was
provided to bring people and their belongings from the refugee
camps in neighbouring republic of Ingushetia.
About 200 residents of Karabulak refugee camp arrived in
Argun at the end of April. Among them was Aina Khasuyeva, a
resident of Grozny, who spent last 18 months in a refugee camp
in Ingushetia.
"We were so happy to go home, we were all so cheerful, we
were even dancing on the way. And, when we got here, there was
a welcome rally organised here. We were greeted and suddenly,
half hour later, two booby-trap bombs exploded. It was such a
loud explosion! And rumour spread that a worker was killed.
And many people got on the same trucks which had brought them
here and left the same day," said Aina.
But she decided to stay. Having arrived 10 days ago, she
still sleeps on the floor in a room in the shelter with her
five children. All they received so far was one bed, one
mattress, one blanket and a bag of flour. She regrets her
decision to come back to Chechnya and is thinking of returning
to Ingushetia.
Most of the 200,000 Russian and Chechen refugees who fled
Chechnya at the end of 1999 still live in Ingushetia, afraid
of returning home.
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