Chechnya

Life in Chechnya
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Chechnya sought to break away from the Russian Republic and conflict erupted.  The Chechen people suffered during the ensuing years of war between separatists and Russian forces, as well as from a rise in organized crime and civil violence. While death tolls vary, estimates are that hundreds of thousands of people may have been killed, while thousands more were forced from their homes.  Many fled to neighboring Ingushetia and Dagestan and an estimated 25,000 still live in those republics today.  Despite its vast oil reserves, Chechnya has been unable to build a thriving economic infrastructure.  Sporadic fighting continues to this day, and human rights abuses remain widespread.  

Helping Communities Help Themselves
Bringing Relief        
Since 2000, International Medical Corps (IMC) has been helping Chechens by supporting and rebuilding health care infrastructure in the North Caucasus. While the emergency in Chechnya has diminished, IMC is still a part of the Chechen support network and is a dedicated partner in its development.  To help Chechnya rebuild and recover, IMC offers the following services:  
•    Primary health care
•    Mental health and psychosocial support
•    Maternal and child care
•    Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) awareness, and prevention
•    Economic livelihoods training
•    Civil society strengthening

In addition to providing health care for Chechnya’s internally displaced, International Medical Corps also helps individuals and communities to develop businesses, including sewing workshops and cattle and sheep farms, and provides income generating activities, such as water supply system repairs to vulnerable individuals.

In an area where the issue of sexual and gender-based violence is particularly sensitive, International Medical Corps is also implementing a program that provides support and treatment for those affected.  IMC also works to mobilize the community against rape and gender-based violence to prevent new cases from occurring.

Enabling Self-Reliance 
International Medical Corps’ training and education programs in Chechnya are designed to provide internally displaced persons and the unemployed with the skills they need to generate income.  Training and education programs implemented in Chechnya:
•    Train health care workers to provide primary health care through IMC-supported health posts
•    Enable sexual and gender-based violence activists to mobilize their communities against rape and domestic abuse
•    Mobilize communities to manage and implement income generating activities
•    Empower Chechen youth with life and professional skills training in areas such as public health education, occupational skills training, and NGO and business management

To inform and develop curricula for occupational skills training courses, International Medical Corps implemented a baseline study and used the results to identify the occupations that are currently in demand and most likely to be needed over the next two years in Chechnya.

In addition to the livelihood programs it supports, International Medical Corps facilitates the development of civil society groups in villages throughout Chechnya, then selects the most active groups and helps them formally register as non-governmental organizations (NGOs).  

You Can Help Build Change That Lasts
While humanitarian assistance in Chechnya is no longer emergency-based, it is still essential to help ensure that relief efforts and short-term gains are translated into long-term sustainability.  Your support will help build the independent livelihoods and security of thousands of Chechens who lost loved ones, homes and jobs during the conflict.  Click here to help Chechnya and other IMC programs worldwide.