13 September 2005, 01:35
Forty-five children get TB
Dwellers of a residence hall in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, have applied to the Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Centre. They complain of the living conditions in the residence hall "where 60 people have two wash-basins, one for washing up and one for hygiene; two lavatories with non-functioning bowls; and one kitchen with a non-functioning oven. Even cold water is not always available. However, the residents are charged a rent as if for first-rate accommodation. Meanwhile, overcrowding and extremely poor sanitary conditions have caused an outbreak of tuberculosis. Forty-five children have been infected with TB.
The application says that the city government sees no problem in what is going on in the residence hall and sends back formal replies in response to complaints.
Valery Khatazhukov, leader of the Human Rights Centre, told Caucasian Knot that the Centre would help the dwellers apply to court to protect their civil and constitutional rights. He also said they would notify the Human Rights Commissioner of the Russian Federation of this fact.
Author: Lyudmila Maratova, CK correspondent
