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DATE=10/13/00

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=UNHCR / CHECHEN REFUGEES (L-O)

BYLINE=LISA SCHLEIN

DATELINE=GENEVA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says tens of thousands of Chechen refugees are expected to spend another harsh winter in the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the agency says the refugees are reluctant to go home because of continued instability in Chechnya.

TEXT: The U-N Refugee Agency says the Chechens living in Ingushetia are afraid to go home. They cite widespread destruction, harassment by Russian troops and general lack of accommodation, health care and food as the main reasons why they are reluctant to go back. Furthermore, U-N-H-C-R spokesman, Kris Janowski says those who come out of Chechnya tell aid workers that male returnees are being screened - that is stopped and interrogated - by Russian forces.

///JANOWSKI ACT///

The screening, of course, is very much feared by the Chechens. They don't want to be picked up and screened by the Russian forces. There (are) landmines, there is a lot of instability with bombs going off on a fairly regular basis. There is low level fighting in many areas. And, in fact there are new refugees coming out, or newly displaced people coming out who are fleeing especially areas where there are flare-ups and there is fighting.

///END ACT///

Mr. Janowski says, on average, there are between 50 and 100 new arrivals a week, with about 140-thousand Chechens in Ingushetia. Mr. Janowski says most of these people will be spending a second winter there. He says intense work is going on to construct a new, tent city to house some four-thousand Chechens throughout the winter.

///2nd JANOWSKI ACT///

Conditions in Ingushetia are still very difficult especially in all kinds of makeshift accommodations, dilapidated buildings, railway carriages. That's why we're building the tent city to get the people out of the worst accommodation because one fear is that if the conditions are too harsh during the winter, that alone may force people to go to Chechnya because they will have no choice. And, they will go into what essentially is a dangerous situation in Chechnya.

///END ACT///

Mr. Janowski says the tent city also is being built because many Chechens have outstayed their welcome in Ingushetia and are under threat of eviction by host families. He says the U-N Refugee Agency is trying to help host families with cash to compensate them for the burden refugees have put on them. (Signed)

NEB/LS/GE/KBK