How UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina
Jolie helps displaced people and refugees in the Russian Federation
"In August 2003, I visited displaced Chechens in Ingushetia
and Georgian refugees in North Ossetia, the Russian Federation.
The
dramatic situation in the North Caucasus urges all involved –
Governments, NGOs, UN agencies, non-partisan actors like me –
to use every opportunity to bring peace to the region. We all
are responsible for the restoration of normal life in this beautiful
region so that people can voluntarily return to their places of
origin in dignity and security.
I
went to two camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Ingushetia,
which have since been closed down. Many of those in the camps
have gone back to Chechnya – and I have to say I applaud
their bravery, since Chechnya clearly still has a long way to
go before it is a safe and comfortable place.
Overall,
there are still about 300,000 IDPs in the region, among them the
most vulnerable: children who need to go to school; women who
desperately try to create some comfort for their families; elderly
and handicapped in need of medical care.
Some
46,500 IDPs live in Ingushetia as well as about 210,000 within
Chechnya itself. Together with its partners, UNHCR cares for these
desperate people, providing shelter, legal, social and medical
counselling, distributing clothes, domestic utilities, hygiene
items and helping with the return of those who want to go home.
Still,
much is needed to be done to help IDPs to rebuild their lives
and rehabilitate their communities so that people returning can
have a viable and happy future. Reconciliation programmes are
needed to ensure that IDPs and refugees can not only return to
their pre-war homes but can also recover their dignity. I understand
UNHCR is preparing to get more involved inside Chechnya, to the
extent it can – and depending on the security situation,
of course – in order to improve and intensify the monitoring
of those voluntary returns.
The
North Ossetian government and UNHCR are doing their best to create
durable solutions for some 30,000 refugees from Georgia in the
republic. I thanked the North Ossetian authorities for what they
have done and are doing to help refugees integrate and start new
lives. In
June 2004, I was pleased to meet and discuss the situation with
Ms. Svetlana Gannushkina. She represented the Memorial Human Rights
Centre, which was awarded the 2004 Nansen Refugee Award for its
work throughout the Russian Federation for this large population
of great concern to UNHCR."
UNHCR
Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie with displaced Chechens in
Bella camp, Ingushetia. © UNHCR/T.Makeeva
|
bravenet.com
