,,,Georgia

repulsewarrior · Deputy Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 1734 Location: Canada

Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

The following information is based on reports from the UN Country Team and
humanitarian partners in Tbilisi and North Ossetia, as well as information
received from countries involved in the response.
1.0 General Humanitarian Overview

1.1 Most international humanitarian assistance
continues to be focused on Tbilisi and its environs,
due to insecurity and lack of humanitarian access to
South Ossetia, Gori and western parts of Georgia.

1.2 The UN Secretary-General issued a statement on 15
August urging all parties to respect international
humanitarian and human rights law, ensure the
protection of civilians, end insecurity and
lawlessness, and allow unimpeded access to populations
in need for humanitarian agencies.

1.3 According to UNHCR estimates, based on figures
provided by the Georgian and Russian Federation
governments, the number of people who have been
displaced as a result of the conflict has risen above
118,000, including circa 45,000 who have fled from
South Ossetia (30,000 of these into North Ossetia and
the remainder into other parts of Georgia). Another
73,000 have fled from locations within Georgia, many
from the city of Gori. It remains difficult for
humanitarian actors to confirm the exact numbers of
people displaced or otherwise affected by the conflict.

1.4 Humanitarian agencies in Tbilisi are supporting the
government's humanitarian response operation, and
approximately 58,000 people had received assistance by
16 August.

1.5 Access to conflict-affected areas continues to be a
major challenge for humanitarian actors. Various UN
missions have attempted to access the Gori region to
provide assistance to the remaining population, but the
continuing blockade, insecurity and lawlessness has
prevented this. On 15 August, two UNHCR vehicles were
hijacked at gunpoint on the outskirts of Gori.

1.6 The Georgian authorities have registered
approximately 23,000 IDPs, who are being accommodated
in 550 different locations, most of them public schools
and kindergartens in Tbilisi. The immediate challenges
are registration (currently undertaken in Tbilisi, but
not elsewhere), and transportation. The government is
compiling and regularly updating a list of humanitarian
supplies needed.

1.7 In South Ossetia, due to continued lack of access,
humanitarian agencies have been unable to assess and
respond to urgent humanitarian needs. Massive
destruction has been reported (including by the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) in
Tskhinvali (the provincial capital) and water and
shelter are the two major priorities. Russian reports
place the number of civilians killed in Tskhinvali at
circa 1,500-1,600, but these figures have not been
independently confirmed. The Russian Federation's
Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) reports that
some 5,000 people, including 1,828 children, are housed
in 51 temporary shelter facilities in South Ossetia.
EMERCOM also reports that 13,238 people, including
4,962 children, are staying with relatives. Unconfirmed
reports indicate that some 15,000 civilians remain in
Tskhinvali, which had a population of 30,000 before the
recent hostilities began.

1.8 In the west of Georgia, a UNHCR operation, in
collaboration with the Georgian Ministry for Refugees
and Accommodation (MRA), escorted on 14 August two
convoys of 732 persons displaced following clashes in
the Kodori Gorge region of Abkhazia from Tchuberi to
Kutaisi. Those displaced are being accommodated in five
government collective centres.

1.9 In North Ossetia, according to the Russian
Federation's Federal Migration Service, some 16,500 new
arrivals from South Ossetia have been officially
registered. Many new arrivals are reportedly staying
with host families. The Russian Ministry of Health
reports 3,700 people located in temporary settlements
in North Ossetia, while others are being transported to
temporary accommodation in other parts of the Russian
Federation, including in Chechnya.
Attachments:
Full_Report.pdf:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=87D21802F146FC03492574A800052B14&file=Full_Report.pdf

repulsewarrior · Deputy Joined: 06 Jan 2006 Posts: 1734 Location: Canada

...great commentary, a Cypriot perspective.

http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=40906&cat_id=1

after all, it was Putin, only a few months ago who said he would effect a Cyprus solution to Russia's problems with Georgia...

this event is another demonstration of the inability of NATO, and the Occidental powers to demonstrate a cohesive and principaled action against threats they percieve to be unjust and against Basic Human Rights. it implies their having the same weaknesses, a self-serving nature, a throw-back to the plunder that is the history of so many civilizations before the Modern Age.

stavrizatz · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:43 am Post subject:

Thanks RW

great piece...hypocricy of the west
...and the idiots, the Georgians (don't get me wrong, I am not supporting Russia for the invasion or 'peace operation' perhaps preferable by some Turkish Cypriots) well the idiots were carrying American flags at a protest in Tiflida!

When an ex-soviet cuntry does that along with Czech Republic, don't you fear a cold war could start all over again.

Crash Test Dummy · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 12:42 pm Post subject:

I could help but feel this was Cyprus all over again.

depurple · Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2008 5:46 pm Post subject:

Big Fish Eats the Small Fish!
Here we go again!
DP!