Water from swollen rivers in the Northern Caucasus swept through
towns and villages leaving reportedly more than 50 people dead. Hundreds
of others have been reported missing. The Russian Interior Ministry
is reported as having said that over 75,000 people have been left
homeless. Some of them had to be rescued from their rooftops by helicopters.
Three members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International
are preparing to assist the affected population. The Russian Orthodox
Church (ROC) will support 2,500 people around Mineralje Vodje in the
Stavropol region. These are unregistered internally displaced persons
(IDPs) – not entitled to official support -, who were surviving in
basements which were all flooded. In Dagestan, ROC will provide relief
for 2,000 IDPs as well.
The floods, which have engulfed Chechnya and neighbouring regions
in the North Caucasus, have destroyed houses, roads, bridges and power
lines, leaving many people without electricity. Reports say that the
Stavropol region, bordering on Chechnya, was the worst hit. Local
police reported at least 33 deaths from this area. There are fears
that flooding may get worse as more heavy rains have been forecast.
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), through their partner, Centre for Peacemaking
and Community Development (CPCD), supports displaced people living
in tent camps in Ingushetia and Chechnya. A focus of the relief will
be on the Chechen capital Grozny, half of which is flooded.
Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HiA) is assessing the situation at the
moment.
An appeal for the victims of the flood is being prepared.
