Georgia - DHA-07: 1-30 November 1996
Georgia - DHA-07: 1-30 November 1996
DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
SITUATION REPORT FROM THE DHA COORDINATOR IN GEORGIA
Situation Report from the DHA Coordinator in GEORGIA - No. 7
Period covered: 1-30 November 1996
HIGHLIGHTS
- UNDHALaunchesthe Mid-Term Review of the UN
Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the Caucasus: June
1996-May 1997
- Alarming Humanitarian Situation in South Ossetia
- Kodori Valley Receives Aid
OVERALL HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
The United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs
(UNDHA) launched the mid-term review of the UN Consolidated
Inter-Agency Appeal for the Caucasus: June 1996-May 1997 on
Wednesday27November.The document highlights the
humanitarian situation in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia,
citespriorityneeds from now until May 1997, and
introduces the transition from relief to development. The
Georgia component of the revised appeal calls for USD 29,
868,021, of which only USD 11,898,162 has been contributed
to date. There have been barely any donor commitments for
education and health programmes, thereby threatening the
countryslong-term development. In the special needs
sector, little donor support has been made available to UN
initiativeswhichaimto support the disabled and
institutionalised.Inthefood sector, WFP has an
outstanding food aid requirements of 2,400 MTs despite
havingstreamlined its target group down to 200,000
beneficiaries.Donor support for internally displaced
persons has been good, in comparison with other sectors,
although several shelter projects requirements have not
been met. This is particularly worrying as winter has now
begun. The poor response to the appeal is of particular
concern as continued, targeted relief is vital to build on
the gains to date and to ensure a smooth transition from
relief to development.
The United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs
(UNDHA) carried out a visit to Tskhinvali and Java and
witnessed a dramatic humanitarian situation there. Aid
agenciesworkingintheregion are targeting the
populations needs in various sectors, including education,
health, and income generation. However, there appear to be
some gaps which need to be addressed urgently. These
include, assistance to boarding schools, which need basic
education supplies and relief items such as cooking pots
and plates, provision of winter clothing and blankets,
especially to the infirm, and the elderly pensioners,
emergency repairs to latrines and toilets, the current
status of which could prove a dangerous vector of diseases.
The people of Kodori Valley remain cut off from the rest of
Georgia throughout the winter because of the valleys
location and poor road conditions. In light of this, the
GovernmentofGeorgia recently delivered vital food
commodities,suchaswheatflour, to the valleys
population. Aid agencies,includingUNICEF,the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Oxfam
UK-Ireland have also responded by donating assistance for
the populations needs in the education, health, food, and
shelter sectors. For example, sweaters, coats, and shoes
for 672 beneficiaries or about one third of the population,
in particular children, women and disabled men, were
delivered and distributed, during the reporting period.
SECTORS
Agriculture
TheMinistryofFood and Agriculture has finished
distributing 246 MTs of wheat seed, donated to Georgia for
the current winter planting season by the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), to the farmers and
farmers associations in the Kakheti and Kartli regions and
is now undertaking the monitoring of distribution in the
field.
Children in Difficult Circumstances
The institutionalised children constitute a particularly
vulnerable group of the Georgian society. Most childrens
institutions are under the management of the Ministry of
Education which is unable to meet the special needs of
these children. Buildings are in poor condition, sanitation
standards are not met. Food and other basic supplies are
unreliable and special equipment and materials are lacking.
UNICEF and several NGOs continue addressing the needs of
theinstitutionalisedchildren. During the month of
November,UNICEFprovided toys, playing and drawing
materials, kitchen cutlery, blankets, soap, and a basic
drug medical kit to the psycho-neurological boarding school
for mentally and physically handicapped children in Senaki,
Samegrelo. EMSA delivered clothes to the neurological
institutions in Gurjaani, Kakheti and clothes, tools for
craftsmanship, and iodised salt to the orphanage in Samgori
and the childrens sanatorium in Tsemi. Norwegian Refugee
Council distributed bed linen sets to the orphanages in
Borjomi,Gori,andMtskheta. Counterpart Foundation
delivered medical consumables, bed linen, patients utility
kits, shirts and pants to the blind and deaf childrens
boarding schools in Tbilisi. Nuova Frontiera has finished
its programme of integrated support to orphanages and other
institutionsforthe vulnerable. Under the project,
clothes, footwear, and hygienic items were provided to the
mentally handicapped children at two boarding schools in
Tbilisi. The housing conditions in these institutions were
improved by repairing roofs and the damage and sewage
systems in the buildings.
Education
The situation in education sector remains critical. No
donor support has come for UN Agencies to provide schools
with basic supplies, such as paper, pencils, and chalk.
Textbooks as well as teaching and learning materials
continue to be short supply, and virtually non-existent in
some rural areas and conflict zones.
Food Aid
WFP is playing a leading role in food assistance to the
vulnerable in Georgia. The agency continues its food
distributions throughout the country. The first round of
the WFP food distribution in east Georgia finished on 18
November. By the end of the first round, approximately 276
MTs of wheat flour was distributed to 33,000 beneficiaries.
During the second round which started mid November, about
272 MTs of wheat flour will be distributed to 39,000
vulnerable persons in fourteen regions of east Georgia. In
the Imereti region, 104,420 beneficiaries already received
730,940 MTs of wheat flour in the second distribution
round, which finished on 29 November. The second round, in
the Svanoti region during which 210,920 MTs of wheat flour
and 14,036 Mts of vegetable oil was distributed to 12,760
beneficiaries finished at the end of November. The second
round in Ajara started on 25 November. During the second
round120,700MTswillbedistributed to 17,238
beneficiaries in this regions.
International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) continues
itsfoodprogramme throughout Georgia. In November,
distributions took place in Tbilisi as well as in South
Georgia, Kakheti, Samegrelo and Imereti. Food parcels were
distributed to single elderly pensioners in the above
regions and bulk food was delivered to the psychiatric
hospitals in Tianeti and Dusheti.
International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC)-Lazarus
is currently running ten soup kitchens throughout the
country.Fivearefunctioningin Tbilisi, one in
Akhaltsikhe, and four in Batumi, Kutaisi, Ozurgeti, and
Zugdidi, west Georgia. The soup kitchens are serving IDPs
as well as other vulnerable people. IOCC-Lazarus started
the first round of a seven-month food programme in five
districts of south Georgia and is planning to meet the
needs of 30,000 vulnerable persons.
Health and Nutrition
Key health indicator for Georgia suggest that the overall
health situation is beginning to stabilise. However, due to
the fact that few funds have been made available for
programmes in health, the standards still remain to be low,
maternal mortality rates are three times higher than WHO
targets, and some vaccination coverage is below 60 percent.
The priorities still are, control of tuberculosis, control
ofvaccine preventable diseases, national nutritional
survey and treatment of micronutrient deficiencies, women
and child health care. Along with the two UN Agencies, WHO
and UNICEF, several NGOs continue providing assistance in
thissector.DeutscheGesellschaftfurTechnische
Zusammenarbeit(GTZ)continuesdistribution of anti
tuberculosis medicines to TB institutions in different
regionsof Georgia. In November, the medicines were
delivered to the TB dispensaries in Gurjaani, Dusheti, and
Senaki.IFRChasexpandeditspsycho-neurological
programme,addingtheRustaviandTelavi psycho-
neurological dispensaries to the list of the programmes
beneficiaries, and is now supporting ten institutions
throughout the country by supplying them with medicines and
medical supplies. UMCOR is supplying medicines to the
polyclinic for refugees and the medical diagnostic centre
in Tbilisi, the gynaecological hospital and policlinic H2
in Kutaisi. Recently the organisation conducted a health
status assessment of IDPs living in communal centres in
Tskaltuboandsuppliedthecentres with necessary
medicines. IOCC-Lazarus has finished distribution of whole
milkpowder,received from UMCOR, to the childrens
institutions in five regions of south Georgia.
Lately, great importance has been attributed to public
awareness of the diseases control, UNICEF printed five
hundred copies of the manual on diphtheria control
management to be distributed to medical doctors. The
agency held training courses on breast feeding, baby
friendly hospital initiative, growth monitoring, control
of diarrhoeal diseases-acute respiratory infections for
IDP doctors and nurses in Tskaltubo. The agency also
organised a regional training course on acute respiratory
infections in Ozurgeti, and a regional clinical course on
family planning-perinatal care in Rustavi. GTZ experts
held a workshop in Tbilisi on improving the effectiveness
of the anti-tuberculosis programme. The Georgian NGO,
Technical Assistance in Georgia (TAG), in collaboration
with representatives of local governmental medical
facilities, conducted workshops on cold chain for the
Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) in Ozurgeti,
Lanckhuti, and Chokhatauri.
Refugees and IDPs
Today, in Georgia, 114,478 IDPs are living in government
communal centres and 158,090 are sheltered elsewhere. The
communal centres, where IDPs live, are virtually useless
for living in. The buildings do not meet the basic
sanitation norms. UNHCR and NGOs are providing assistance
in the sector, and much progress has been made. Although
the IDP population benefited from a constant support by
the international aid communities, there is still a lot
to do in this sector. At present, there are four types of
activities carried out for the IDPs support, emergency
relief, shelter, agriculture, and income generation. In
November, the International Rescue Committee (IRC)
conducted an assessment in the collective centre of IDPs
in Imereti, Samegrelo, and Tbilisi. By the end of the
year, the organisation is planning to provide the IDPs in
such centres with clothing and footwear. In Samegrelo,
OXFAM is rehabilitating medium- and small-size communal
buildings where IDPs live. The agency also provides
material support to host families who shelter IDPs. UMCOR
(Kutaisi) and Curatio International Foundation (CIF)
continue implementing income generation projects in
Kutaisi employing IDPs. Recently they started
implementing a new project, a farm of ducks and geese. In
spring, 30 percent of poultry will be distributed to IDPs
in the communal centres. UMCOR started distributing
livestock (pigs and cows) to IDPs in private
accommodation in Kutaisi. The agency will provide the
IDPs with fodder for the livestock for upcoming winter.
Despite the considerable progress, the need for continued
emergency relief is outstanding, especially now, that the
winter has started, and the provision of heating fuel or
wood, hygiene items, warm clothing and blankets to IDPs,
is vital to ensure their survival.
United Nations Office in Tbilisi, Georgia
Mr. Toby Lanzer
Tel.: (995 32) 94 31 63
Fax: (995 32) 95 95 16
E-Mail: toby@undha.org.ge
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. Kazuhide Kuroda
Tel.: (1 212) 963.5713
Fax: (1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: dhagva@dha.unicc.org
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.6381
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
E-Mail: Arjun.Katoch@dha.unicc.org
Press To Contact - (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856
Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
E-Mail: dhagva@dha.unicc.org