OCHA Situation Report No. 3
Georgia - Earthquake
3 May 2002


On 3 May 2002, the official appeal (available on Relief Web at
http://www.reliefweb.int ) was launched by the Government of Georgia for
$52.57 million for emergency relief and rehabilitation needs related to
the 25 April earthquake.


Background

1.  Georgia was hit by an earthquake on 25 April 2002 centered on the
capital of Tbilisi.  While the injuries and loss of life was fortunately
relatively small, the damage to buildings and infrastructure has been very
large. For further background information, please refer to our previous
Situation Reports No.1 and No.2.


Appeal for International Assistance

2.  The Government of Georgia has presented the appeal for donor
assistance for the additional emergency relief and rehabilitation needs
for the period of the next six months.  The appeal focuses on moving
people out of the most damaged and dangerous dwellings, and repairing
(where feasible) or reconstructing these dwellings. Targeted repair and
rebuilding of the most damaged dwellings will require the temporary
displacement of approximately 2,500 families during the first six months.
It is anticipated that about half of these persons displaced by the
earthquake will be accommodated with families, friends or in other
available dwellings. Those who cannot (an estimated 1,200 families) will
be placed in communal centers, and provided with the necessary relief
assistance.  The public buildings and infrastructure in the most damaged
category will also be repaired or reconstructed.  It should be noted that
the immediate, targeted rehabilitation projects included in this programme
would address only a fraction of the total rehabilitation needs.  For the
categories of "significant structural damage" and "major damage, or
unusable", the total amount required is estimated to be USD 156 million.

3.  Thus, the present appeal for emergency relief and rehabilitation
actions requests USD 525,854 for relief needs, and USD 52.04 million for
emergency rehabilitation activities, amounting to a total figure of USD
52.57 million.

4.  The appeal seeks the resources needed for immediate emergency
assistance for two types of needs:

- Relief assistance required for the most affected persons - primarily
those displaced by the earthquake and relocated into some type of communal
accommodation, and the provision of temporary shelters;

- Emergency rehabilitation needs - including emergency repairs to
residences and key public infrastructure, where feasible, and obtaining
and/or creation of alternative accommodation and infrastructure where
repair is not feasible (e.g., schools damaged beyond repair).


5.  The Government of Georgia and the UN Disaster Management Team (DMT)
are able to essentially meet the outstanding emergency food and non-food
needs of those persons already moved into communal centers.  The planning
figure for those to be subsequently moved from their damaged houses and in
need of emergency assistance is 1,200 families. Taking into account relief
items already held by the DMT member organizations in country, the
following table summarizes the remaining relief assistance requirements
for this projected population.

Required Relief Assistance (in USD)

     |--------------------+---------|
     | Non-Food Items     | 413,213 |
     |--------------------+---------|
     | Food Items         |  69,941 |
     |--------------------+---------|
     | Medical Assistance |  10,000 |
     |--------------------+---------|
     | Psychosocial       |  13,500 |
     | Assistance         |         |
     |--------------------+---------|
     | Water/Sanitation   |  19,200 |
     |--------------------+---------|
     | Grand Total        | 525,854 |
     |--------------------+---------|


6.  Donors may choose two channels for their cash or in-kind donations of
emergency relief: either through the relevant Government entity, or
alternatively, through a UN agency and/or NGO implementing such relief
aid, especially within the context of the Disaster Management Team

7.  The Government will convene a meeting with the donor community in
Tbilisi on Tuesday, 7 May 2002 to discuss the appeal and the response to
it.

8.  OCHA is in close contact with the United Nations Office in Georgia and
will revert with further information, as it becomes available.

9.  This situation report, as well as the full text of the appeal are is
also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.


Telephone: +41-22-91712 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
  Mr. Dusan Zupka/ Mr. Anvar Munavvarov
  Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1645/1669

Press contact:
  (GVA)  Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 26 56
  (NYC)  Tullio Santini direct Tel. +1-212-963 0470


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