Action by Churches Together - North Caucasus program continues its work

The Action by Churches Together - North Caucasus program has continued its work in May-June 2004, providing aid for the most needy IDPs in Chechnya, the Stavropol Region and Republic of North Ossetia - Alania.

The program was organized under the auspices of the Moscow Patriarchate Department for External Church Relations with the support of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International Christian organization. The program has been implemented by the Russia Round Table.

This year the program has concentrated its efforts on providing emergency relief for IDPs in the Republic of Chechnya. Almost all the IDPs who had to stay in tent camps in Ingushetia for several years have now returned to Chechnya. However, over 33 thousand of people who are coming back to their native land cannot live in their homes ruined during the armed conflict and have to stay in temporary accommodation centers arranged by the local authorities. The only posession many of these resettlers have are modest belongings and clothes.

About 3.000 poorest inhabitants of these stations in Grozny have received 492 family packages including blankets, bed linen, towels and tableware. This aid has met the need for the essentials in everyday life and helped to put life in temporary accommodation centers in some order.

In another thrust, the program has distributed 4.230 family packages of seeds (consisting of 16 crops) in Chechnya, the neighboring Stavropol Region and North Ossetia. This aid will enable resettling beneficiaries to grow crops not only for food but also for seed reserves for the future. The lists of beneficiaries were compiled in cooperation with the local authorities as well as migration and social services.

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