Our editorial staff received an e-mail about the educational problems of Chechen children in Azerbaijan.

Here is the statement:

The Council of Chechen Refugees in Azerbaijan appeals to all humanitarian organizations and people of goodwill.

In connection with this emerging situation, we bring to your attention that this year, the children of Chechen refugees in Azerbaijan cannot continue their studies at schools because of the absence of financial aid. Since we do not have the right to work or conduct business and we live on 40 (forty) manats, or around 50 USD per month, we are not able to solve the problem of our children’s education. Everybody knows, that even for local residents, it is not easy to prepare a child for school. For a Chechen refugee, however, it is impossible without help from the outside. Thank you for the form which was given for first through fifth graders, but it does not solve the whole problem. We have nothing for grades from sixth to eleventh. When the Council of Chechen Refugees appealed to the United Nations, they replied by saying that the donor does not emit money.

Please, tell us what a Chechen refugee should do if he or she does not have any rights in the Azerbaijanian Republic, except for the right to live? After 10 years of living in Azerbaijan, we still do not have generally accepted elementary rights. If the United Nations has a separate law for Chechens, let it proclaim this law, otherwise let it follow the generally accepted law for all refugees.

Sincerely,

Council of Chechen Refugees in Azerbaijan

15.09.2010

*Text was translated by Aminat and edited by Michael Capobianco for Waynakh Online