RUSSIA SENDS EMERGENCY AID TO CHECHNYA.

Russia’s Minister of Emergency Situations Sergei Shoigu arrived in Djohar on a plane supplying humanitarian aid for the mountain regions of Chechnya, which have been hit by catastrophic landslides. Sixteen tons of sugar, nine tons of canned meat and one-and-a-half tons of medical supplies were sent. An expert commission of Shoigu’s ministry has completed an inspection of the affected regions, and reported that 1,026 families — more than 7,000 people — need to be relocated. The main purpose of his visit, Shoigu said, is to coordinate relief efforts with Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. "The first priority," Shoigu said, "is to build shelters so that these people will not be left out under the open sky." (RTR, April 6) In other respects, however, Chechnya complains that Russia is failing to honor its financial obligations to Chechnya.

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