WFP started its current activities at the beginning of 2000 with the resurgence of the armed conflict in Chechnya and has since provided some 173,000 tons of food valued at US$79.9 million. Now, some six years later, in Chechnya there is still ongoing low-level conflict. This conflict has the potential to spill over into neighbouring Ingushetia. Tensions have also increased in other North Caucasian Republics as fighting in Chechnya has reduced. The hostilities led to he displacement of more than 300,000 people, of whom 29,000 remain displaced in neighbouring Ingushetia, and many more within Chechnya itself.
The years of war have destroyed much of the economic and social infrastructure of the Republic, with the result that while recent improvements in security are encouraging, reconstruction has hardly commenced, and employment opportunities are limited. Consequently, people in Chechnya and those who have been displaced into Ingushetia face impoverishment, and much of the population has become reliant on international humanitarian assistance to meet daily needs. Over 60 percent of people in Chechnya, and over 44 percent of people displaced from Chechnya, living in Ingushetia, live below the official poverty line of the Russian Federation2. WFP food aid, along with other humanitarian relief, has become incorporated within overall coping strategies, and has played a major role in helping affected households maintain assets and prevented an overall descent into poverty.
WFP emergency assistance will be provided for a 12 month period (1 January 2006 to 31 December 2006). Within the overall framework of the Transitional Plan for 2006 (no CAP will be undertaken in Russia in 2006), WFP will provide basic food assistance to 249,000 conflictaffected people in both Ingushetia and Chechnya. An expanded WFP Food for Education programme and a Food Fund3 to support the development of productive assets will support the continued phase-over to more targeted food aid. Three cross-cutting issues, gender, RBM and community mobilisation have been integrated into all programmes with training for RBM and community mobilisation undertaken for WFP and partner staff. By developing outside partnerships with other stakeholders (including Government counterparts such as the Ministries of Education, Labour and Social Development) as well as the communities through the community mobilisation initiatives, WFP is working on the beginnings of an exit strategy.
WFP will require a total of 36,368 mt of basic food commodities, at a total cost of US$ 22,162,540 to cover food, transport and support costs.
