Appeal of Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan to UN High Commissioner for Refugees

50 Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan signed an appeal to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers on September 8, 2003.

Here are some extracts from their appeal:

"We, voicing the will of many thousands of Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan, turn to you to clarify the reason of our desperate state.

In spite of the fact that Azerbaijan has signed The 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, there is a limitation of the help being rendered in the country. The cause of this limitation is unknown."

"According to the UNHCR data, there are 7,603 Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan, and only 373 Chechens were given aid in August of the current year."

"Humane organizations completely stop providing aid to Chechen refugee after the events of September 11, 2001. The placement of refugees has been reduced to zero. The medical care and education of children is in the same sad state."

"Azerbaijan UNHCR officials avoid meeting with Chechen public organizations, limit requested information. Despite our last year's appeal to you and the visit of the commission from Geneva, the situation has not changed."

"About 60 Chechen refugees (less than 1%) have got international status for the last four years, since the beginning of the war! All the other Chechen refugees have so called "mandate status", prohibiting repatriation and providing legal protection."

"We want you to answer the question of vital importance: what bad things did Chechen refugees do to the United Nations so that we are not given proper aid and international status is not granted in order that those who wish, many ill people are among them, can leave for the third country? We are waiting for the response, we are dying."