South Ossetian refugees arrive to Kabardino-Balkaria

On August 11, 170 refugees from South Ossetia were brought to Nalchik from the temporary tent camp deployed in North Ossetia by four buses; they were accommodated in boarding houses. Now, over 300 refugees, children and adults, are sheltered by Kabardino-Balkaria.

"We've been nicely welcomed here," Inga Besaeva said. "Lots of people come and offer help. We're grateful to all of them, and, first of all, to the Republic's leadership, who do everything to make us feel comfortable."

Refugees cannot tell without tears about what they had to live through during several recent days. Many of them still know nothing about the fate of their relatives and friends who remained in South Ossetia.

Marina Dzukaeva has reported that the house where she lived had no cellar. "We had to dig it right under fire. Somehow we manage to dig a pit, sized like a small kitchen, and 15 persons hid there," she said. The pit was their salvation, as the house was completely ruined.

There are not only Ossetians, but also Russian, Armenians and Azerbaijanis among the refugees; all of them lived in Tskhinvali. Samira, an Azeri, said that her friends Elchin and Anyura Tariverdiev were killed right in her sight: "They were shot dead in their car near the market where they worked."

Today, the sanatorium, where the refugees have been accommodated, was visited by employees of the Migratory Service of the Russian Federation for the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR), who registered all refugees.

It became known to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that residents of Kabardino-Balkaria are addressing the Republic's leaders expressing their readiness to help the refugees who are coming to Nalchik. Many of them offer their houses to refugees. The Republic's Commission in charge of organizing assistance to South Ossetian victims has launched a databank of the people ready to help the refugees. Their initiatives will be used as far as possible.