RUSSIA: OVER A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE RUSSIA DECIDED TO RESTORE ORDER IN CHECHNYA, BUT LIFE IS STILL FAR FROM BEING NORMAL IN GROZNY

Record ID: 647024

  • Title: RUSSIA: OVER A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE RUSSIA DECIDED TO RESTORE ORDER IN CHECHNYA, BUT LIFE IS STILL FAR FROM BEING NORMAL IN GROZNY
  • Date: 22nd November 2000
  • Summary: GROZNY, CHECHNYA (NOVEMBER 22, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV RUSSIAN ARMOURED PERSONEL CARRIER (APC) DRIVING THROUGH CENTRE OF GROZNY, SOLDIERS LOOKING (2 SHOTS) 0.11 2. TRACKING SHOT OF RUINS AND DAMAGED BUILDINGS 0.20 3. LV/SLV RESIDENTS OF GROZNY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING USEFUL IN RUBBLE (2 SHOTS) 0.31 4. SV MAN AND WOMAN PULLING BAG OF GRAIN ON CART 0.38 5. SV PEOPLE FIGHTING THEIR WAY THROUGH CROWD TO ENTER DISTRIBUTION CENTRE 0.48 6. MCU WOMEN WORKING AT DISTRIBUTION CENTRE FILLING UP BAGS WITH VARIOUS FOOD PRODUCTS 0.53 7. SLV WOMAN PULLING BAG OF GRAIN 0.56 8. SV OLD WOMAN GETTING REGISTERED IN ORDER TO GET HUMANITARIAN AID (2 SHOTS) 1.05 9. MCU MAN SMILING, LOOKING AT HIS BAG BEING FILLED WITH GRAIN 1.11 10. CU WOMAN FILLING BAG WITH GRAIN 1.16 11. SV WOMEN GETTING HUMANITARIAN AID, SOLDIERS GUARDING DISTRIBUTION CENTRE 1.23 12. SV CROWD OUTSIDE DISTRIBUTION CENTRE 1.29 13. MCU CHILDREN EATING IN GROZNY ORPHANAGE "BERKAT" 1.36 14. CU BOYS WIPING PLATE WITH PIECES OF BREAD 1.44 15. CU LITTLE GIRL EATING SOUP 1.51 16. MCU LITTLE GIRL CRYING 2.00 17. SV CHILDREN PLAYING PIANO 2.06 18. SV PETRA PROKHASKOVA, "KARITAS" CHARITY VOLUNTEER FROM CZECH REPUBLIC, WORKING IN GROZNY, PICKING UP BOY, SITTING DOWN WITH HIM, CHECKING HIS HEAD FOR FLEAS 2.18 19. SV CHILDREN DANCING 2.25 20. MCU (Russian) PETRA PROKHASKOVA: "Some of these children spend nights in the cellars, destroyed appartments, in a very dirty, unhealthy environment. They have fleas, scabs, various diseases which we can not treat because we bring them here, wash them, feed them and in the evening, unfortunately, we have to return them to where we have taken them from. And there they get infected again and again with hepatitis, etc. Here we have all known children diseases. So it's even dangerous to come here." 2.57 21. SLV/CU CHILDREN SLEEPING (4 SHOTS) 3.23 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th December 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: GROZNY, CHECHNYA, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Reuters ID: LVA7Z63UQ0E4W3UEMTBRC9JGWIPC
  • Story Text: Over a year has passed since Russia decided to restore
    peace and order in Chechnya, but life here is still far from
    being normal. Especially in the capital Grozny, or to be more
    precise, what's left of it. And as in every war - children are
    the ones who suffer most.



    Grozny, once home to half a million people, is
    today a ghost city. Most of the buildings in the centre are
    completely or partially destroyed.

    Many districts don't have gas, electricity or running
    water. Most of Grozny's population fled to other parts of
    Chechnya and neighbouring Ingushetia, housed in refugee camps
    and makeshift accomodation. Those with nowhere to go remain in
    the city and are struggling to survive.

    As is often the case, those suffering most are old people
    and children. They survived Russian shelling, street fighting
    and now, with the onset of winter, they face another enemy -
    hunger. There is no work in the ruined city - 99% of the
    population are unemployed and the only hope for survival for
    many is foreign humanitarian aid.

    But what foreign NGO's (Non-governmental organisations) can
    provide is not enough. Their representatives say they would be
    happy to help more, but the huge bureaucracy and wide-spread
    corruption along with the unstable situation make it extremely
    hard to deliver aid to those who need it.

    Only a few charities manage to reach Grozny. The Catholic
    organisation "Karitas" is one of them. It has sponsored the
    opening of an orphanage in the centre of the city, which is
    now accomodating 48 children.

    Petra Prokhaskova from the Czech republic, a former
    journalist and now a volunteer with "Karitas" knows hardships
    of life in Grozny first hand. For the last six months she's
    been living in the Chechen capital, running the orphanage.

    The most depressing thing for Petra is that there are so
    many children here who need help, and at present she can help
    only 50 of them.

    The orphanage she runs doesn't have facilities to
    accomodate children full time. This causes new problems.

    "Some of the children spend nights in the cellars,
    destroyed appartments, in a very dirty, unhealthy
    environment", Petra said. "They have fleas, scabs, various
    diseases which we can not treat because we bring them here,
    wash them, feed them and in the evening, unfortunately, we
    have to bring them to where we took them from. And there they
    get infected again."
    But despite the frustration she is still happy to be a
    charity volunteer. After covering two Chechen wars as a
    journalist, she decided to come back to Grozny, this time as a
    charity worker. She thinks the media failed to help the
    Chechen people and that by running orphanage she can help,
    even if it's only 50 children. It is children who need the
    help most.


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