The team found devastating conditions in the Sernovodsk resort center, which currently houses 3,000 refugees, 2,100 of which are children. Mothers with 6 to 10 children living in 1 room are the norm. Both heating and water are no longer available since Russian forces interrupted the power supply to Sernovodsk on November 10; water wells and heating are electricity-driven. "Mothers are gathering firewood and stoking a fire on the balcony;" says Jukka Peltoniemi, Project Manager. õChildren have no winter clothing, and are bringing water from the industrially polluted river 2 km away for use in cooking over wood fires. There is no water for hygiene. Toilet facilities are simply not available. The food supply has dwindled to a trickle since Russian forces are scarcely letting aid through.æ
The Sernovodsk town leadership and the director of the resort have appealed together with the Ingushetia government to the Russian forces to allow an immediate restoration of the power supply. World Vision workers were present in Sernovodsk when the Ingushi government power vehicles returned after having partially restored the power supply. õWe hope this will at least lessen the danger of epidemics,æ says Lisa Armakhadzieva, director of the Ingushi Red Cross. "The water wells should again start working, and some power will be available for lighting. It is unlikely that the power supply will be strong enough for the electrical heating system, and temperatures are already repeatedly dropping below freezing."
World Vision Russia will focus immediately on raising further funds for one-month emergency food pack shipments for the town of Sernovodsk, organizing schooling and trauma counseling in the Sernovodsk resort area. "We appeal both to sponsors within Russia and to the World Vision partnership," says Jos Vanhee, WV RBU director. "We need an immediate $40,000 to use the open channel that we were able to negotiate with Russian troops; we can now enter Sernovodsk and help immediately with food supplies purchased in Nazran, 40km away. This $40,000 can provide for 1 month's food supplies for 3,000 refugees. In all of Sernovodsk, there are 15,000 inhabitants and an additional 15,000 refugees from Chechnya towns."
There appears to be no letup in the isolation of Sernovodsk. Although the World Vision team entered the town relatively easily by donating some bread and softdrinks to hungry young Russian soldiers, it took 1 hour to negotiate with the Russian commander about exiting the town before nightfall. "We can enter and exit, but not without difficulty," says Jukka Peltoniemi. "Above all, we need to work quickly and exit quickly. There are repeated skirmishes, random shooting of both Chechen rebels and Russian troops as soon as the night starts to fall. On November 15, when we were travelling to Grozni with Paul Almas of WV Canada during daylight and outside of Sernovodsk, we were stopped and held at gunpoint by Chechen rebels. They allowed us to continue immediately when we explained our mission and showed our international passports."
The situation in Grozni has improved only slightly. Although many refugees have returned and have even started to repair their heavily damaged homes and appartments, there is no working plumbing system, no central water supply and no heating. Power has been restored. The situation in the central Grozni hospital, however, is shocking. "In a republic of 1.3 million people, only 4 beds are available for children's emergency care," says Paul Almas, World Vision Canada director for Corporate Development. "In the only children's wing, I saw 6 children on 4 beds in intensive care. The water supply is trucked in and will stop all together when temperatures drop consistently below freezing in December. There is no water for cleaning the floors. There is hardly any equipment. There is no heating."
World Vision Russia is working together with World Vision Canada, World Vision Netherlands and World Vision Finland to equip the hospital and supply it with much needed beds, water supply, heaters and basic equipment. The first major shipments are expected by December.
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modified: Thursday, 20-Jun-1996 15:26:38 EDT