Russians open Chechen border as UN arrives
Source: AFP | Published: Friday November 5 3:53:45 AM
KAVKAZ, Russia, Nov 4 - Russian soldiers let hundreds of Chechens cross the
border to safety today, moments before a United Nations mission arrived at
the scene to evaluate the refugee crisis.
A line of frightened and exhausted refugees stretching back for kilometres
inched forward as border guards under orders from Moscow waved past the crowd.
Some 700 refugees crossed the border in buses before a fleet of UN vehicles
sped past the frontier post into Chechnya.
"We are here to help as much as possible, to distribute food, shelter and
medicine," said UN mission leader Nikolas Kossidis as he mingled with the
refugee crowd. "We hope that from our side we can provide assistance."
Russia sealed off the entire Chechen border for 10 days before allowing the
first trickle of refugees into Ingushetia on Monday. But thousands more
remained stranded on the Chechen side of the border amid scenes of misery
and desperation in the open air.
The United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, which is leading the mission,
yesterday demanded that Moscow reopen the border, comparing the plight of
the refugees with the suffering in Kosovo earlier this year.
The small team was dispatched by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to assess
the needs of the nearly 200,000 refugees who have fled since Russia opened
an air assault against the rebel republic on September 5.
Under intense world pressure to act, Russia sent Emergencies Minister
Sergei Shoigu to the border areas in North Ossetia and Ingushetia to
evaluate the humanitarian situation.
One refugee waiting at the border, Mila, 42, said: "Some prefer to die
instantly under the bombing than to perish slowly from cold and hunger" at
the border crossing.
Russian generals insist the Chechen campaign is targeting only 'terrorist'
bases, but eyewitnesses have reported mounting civilian casualties,
including 25 killed in a Red Cross refugee convoy blasted by warplanes last
week.
This morning, two Russian warplanes fired 10 rockets at the village of
Krasnoarmeyskoye, north-west of Grozny, and bombed the nearby Rostov-Baku
road, Chechen military official Isa Munayev told AFP.
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