Georgia - OCHA-08: 31-Aug-98
Georgia - OCHA-08: 31-Aug-98
Situation Report from the OCHA Coordinator in GEORGIA - No. 8
Period covered: August 1998
Coordination Meeting on Western Georgia
On 13 August 1998, a coordination meeting on western Georgia took place at
the UN House, Tbilisi. Government officials, donor organisations, UN
Agencies, and international and non-governmental organisations were
invited. The meeting was called to review the activities of humanitarian
agencies in western Georgia, and to introduce an initiative for
facilitating the planning and coordination of sustainable programmes during
the medium and long-term phases of assistance to western Georgia, following
the unrest in the Gali area in May 1998.
Working group members provided sector updates
The World Food Programme (WFP), speaking on behalf of the food sector,
noted that its provisioning of wheat flour to the government for
distribution as bread had ceased at the end of July in line with the
strategy of the food working group. WFP indicated, however, that the
government was continuing the bread distribution via alternative sources.
In regards to food for work (FFW), WFP noted that projects scheduled for
the July to December phase of the programme would include approximately
9,200 workers, over a million workdays, and over 3,000 MTs of food. It is
anticipated that an estimated 5,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs)
will participate in the programme and that through family structures,
approximately 25,000 IDP beneficiaries will be reached. WFP also noted that
via FFW, the drainage systems for over 2,500 hectares of agricultural land
would be rehabilitated, and over 3,000 hectares of tea bushes would be
improved. Organisations interested in discussing the inclusion of their
programmes in FFW should contact WFP's Kutaisi office.
Continuing in the food sector, the Federation followed WFP's update with a
presentation on the preparations being undertaken for the final food parcel
distribution. The Federation noted that funds for the Federation and Accion
Contra el Hambre (ACH) to undertake the distribution have been allocated by
European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). Commodities for the parcels
have been ordered. It is anticipated that the distribution will begin in
the late August.
Moving on to the health sector, the health working group concentrated its
update on two remaining, interrelated concerns: the continued existence of
excessively top-down programmes, and the lack of communication between the
central authorities and health practitioners at the regional and local
level. As an example, the meeting cited requests made by central
authorities and the Abkhaz Government in Exile throughout the initial phase
of assistance following the May fighting for medicines that regional health
authorities, local practitioners, and international organisations operating
in Samegrelo noted were unnecessary. Also, the working group discussed the
recent decision made by central health authorities that a health
coordination meeting be chaired by an international organisation. The
meeting noted that after several years of capacity building in the
Samegrelo health sector, there were Georgian health authorities capable of
facilitating such coordination.
Moving on to the shelter sector, the United Nations High Commissioner for
refugees (UNHCR) reported that the shelter working group, with the
cooperation of the government, identified 30 buildings for rehabilitation
which will house persons currently residing in schools. In total, the 30
contain 1,200 units--each unit housing a family. The 1,200 units, UNHCR
noted, are expected to be rehabilitated by the end of August, thus giving
the government an opportunity to relocate persons before the beginning of
the school year. Unfortunately, however the government has not yet provided
lists of families to be relocated into the units. As rehabilitated units
remain vacant, squatters have begun moving in. For the most part, the
squatters are IDPs from host families, and from collective centres that are
not in good condition. According to the information collected by the
shelter working group, few of the squatters are new IDPs who previously
resided in the schools.
In regards to resolving the problem posed by the squatters, UNHCR pointed
out that there does not appear to be policing of renovated accommodations.
The Chair commented that it is the government's responsibility to police
the new structures. UNHCR noted that it had raised the issue with the
government and would do so again later in the day at a meeting the shelter
working group and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) would be having with the Deputy Chairman of Parliament. Finally the
participants discussed the question of medium and longer term planning and
coordination. The Chair suggested the establishment of a working group to
propose strategies for addressing medium term needs. The working group
model, he noted, provided a successful operating mechanism through the
initial emergency phase. At the request of the participants the first
meeting is expected to be held soon.
Follow up to the Local Capacities for Peace Caucasus Regional Workshop Over
the past eighteen months the Local Capacities for Peace Project (LCPP) of
the Collaborative for Development Action has facilitated several
roundtables and workshops in the Caucasus region. The Project represents
the joint effort of a number of international agencies, including bilateral
donors, UN Agencies and non-governmental organisations to identify ways in
which international humanitarian and development assistance given in
conflict settings may be provided such that it avoids exacerbating tensions
and/ or supports local capacities for peace in communities in conflict.
The latest workshop was held in Georgia, 9 - 12 June 1998, and was attended
by both national and international representatives of the aid community
from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The workshop was organised and
co-sponsored by UNHCR (Armenia and Georgia), OCHA (regional office), Oxfam
UK (Georgia and regional office) and Save the Children US (Armenia).
As part of the follow up to the workshop, and with a view to disseminating
lessons learned, a regional LCPP focal group is being created. The group is
devoted to advocating for, and disseminating information on local
capacities for peace approaches to aid in the region. The first activity of
the group has been the recent dissemination of the report on the workshop,
which was prepared by one of the facilitators, Mr. Greg Hansen. Mr. Hansen
is the author of the forthcoming Humanitarian Action in the Caucasus: A
Guide for Practitioners, a joint publication of LCPP and the
Humanitarianism and War Project at Brown University.
The focal group has also been responsible for the dissemination of the
record of proceedings from the workshop, which provides the context of the
observations elaborated in the report. The record was prepared by the
Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and co-edited by Save the
Children/ US (Armenia). The report and record of proceedings have been
distributed to agencies active in the areas of unresolved conflict around
the southern Caucasus. Interested aid agencies may contact OCHA for
additional information on obtaining copies of these documents. Copies of DO
NO HARM: Supporting Local Capacities for Peace through Aid are also
available from OCHA, in Russian and English. This is an LCPP publication by
Mary B. Anderson published in 1996.
The second activity of the focal group is to establish and publish a
quarterly newsletter on issues and dilemmas related to enhancing local
capacities for peace in the region. We hope that the newsletter will
provide a forum for exchange of views on best practices in aid programming.
Finally, the focal group aims to support future activity of LCPP and the
Humanitarianism and War Project in the region, by providing logistical,
administrative and dissemination support for further strategy sessions and
roundtables. It is envisaged that the next round of such activities will
commence in September, when Mr. Hansen is scheduled to return to the region
to facilitate a number of strategy sessions in the various aid/ conflict
focal points. In October a regional meeting of donors and other major
decision-makers is planned.
UNV Geneva Mission to Tbilisi
>From 19 to 25 August 1998, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in
Georgia was visited by a mission from Geneva. The mission included the Head
of the Humanitarian Relief Unit and Liaison Office from UNV Geneva and the
Programme Development and Management Officer from the same unit.
The purpose of the mission was to review UNV programme activities and to
evaluate the strategy for next year. UNV has recently received grants from
the German government and the Swedish International Development Agency
(Sida), which allowed it to expand its activities in Georgia.
The mission discussed achieved results and future perspectives with the UN
Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator. The mission visited some regions of
Georgia in which UNV has implemented its programmes, accompanied by the UNV
Coordinator and one of the UNV National Community Facilitators. The mission
visited UNV offices in Tbilisi, Ninotsminda and Sukhumi.
The mission also met with representatives of community-based organisations,
NGOs, donors, partner organisations, UNV programmes from western Georgia
and South Ossetia, as well as with political analysts and experts.
Discussions with donors on UNV future strategy included the following
points: regional expansion of existing programmes, dissemination of
activities to the regions and rural areas, and greater emphasis on
subregional cooperation in the southern Caucasus.
The priorities of the UNV programmes continue to be following: capacity
building of the third sector, conflict transformation reaching NGOs,
activists, sections of Parliament and governmental structures,
psychological rehabilitation for IDPs, programmes for children (children's
magazine, children's camps, festivals), networking between local NGOs and
international NGOs and organisations, women empowerment, human rights
education and training, and support of multicultural activities.
UN/OSCE Human Rights Office Appoints New Director
Mr. Ryszard Komenda was recently appointed as the new Director of the
UN/OSCE Human Rights Office based in Sukhumi. Founded in 1997, the Human
Rights Office aims to strengthen capacities and infrastructures to promote
human rights and democracy under the rule of law in the framework of a
project of technical cooperation for all of Georgia. The project is funded
by the UN Voluntary Fund for Technical Cooperation. The office's objectives
are: to provide access to UN human rights information and capacity
development in human rights for authorities and institutions of higher
learning, and to build capacity of the legal community in teaching human
rights in the administration of justice, and local NGOs and mass media to
strengthen civil society.
These objectives will be accomplished primarily through -training trainers-
Teaching materials will be developed, refined, and tested locally, and
published in sufficient quantities for future long term local use. UN human
rights reference materials will be distributed to establish permanent human
rights depository libraries. Activities planned include: one five day
training course on UN human rights teaching in higher education, one five
day follow-up course on UN human rights teaching in higher education,
establishment of two human rights depository libraries, one five day
training course on teaching in the area of administration of justice, one
five-day follow-up training course on teaching in the area of
administration of justice, one five day training course on human rights and
capacity development for NGOs and mass media, Two five day follow-up
courses, one each for NGOs and mass media, scholarships for officials,
educators, NGO and mass media representatives for further in-depth study of
human rights. In addition, the Human Rights Office carries out monitoring
of human rights in order to help create a situation of rule of law to
promote and protect human rights in the area, and to support the return of
internally displaced persons under safe and dignified conditions.
Monitoring done by the Office includes analysis of the development of the
legal system, and key institutions for the protection and promotion of
human rights.
The Human Rights Office can be contacted by: Tel.: 1-212-963-9566 ext.
5143, or 1-212- 963-9562/3
Fax: 1-212-963-9560/1 E-mail: komenda at un.org
MSF-Greece: New Reproductive Health Programme in Tbilisi
Medecins Sans Frontieres-Greece (MSF-Greece) started a thirty-month
reproductive health programme in Tbilisi in June. The programme aims to
increase public awareness through education, information and communication
(EIC) about sexually transmitted disease (STD) and AIDS prevention, and
prevention of unwanted pregnancy, and to enhance accessibility to quality,
anonymous public reproductive health services. The programme will also
increase health practitioners' awareness of these matters: providing
counselling skills on how to deal with, and how to inform, STD and HIV
carriers, raising concern on reproductive health issues, and developing a
network of concerned health staff who can inform other practitioners.
Finally, the programme aims to raise the quality of reproductive health
services, through: improvement and standardisation of STD detection and
management, follow-up on the quality of laboratory examinations performed
at local laboratories, follow-up on availability of delivery drugs and
contraceptives, and monitoring of the information system regarding STD
detection and treatment, contraceptives prescription and drugs/ material
delivery.
To achieve these goals MSF-Greece will open an Information, Documentation
and Orientation Centre (IDO Centre), which will launch the EIC activities
among the population and local health practitioners.
SECTORS
Food
On 7 August 1998, Sante Walsh Products donated 400 portions of ice cream,
one refrigerator and one cooling box to vulnerable pensioners at the soup
kitchen of the charitable organisation -Katarzisi.-
On 19 July 1998, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel delivered 50
boxes (300 kg.) of children's food to the Tbilisi Infants' House and
Makhinjauri orphanage.
>From 10 to 20 August 1998, Counterpart International, through the Zugdidi
Department of Social Protection, delivered 3,000 dehydrated potatoes and
3,110 cans of cottage cheese to single elderly people in Zugdidi.
On 18 August 1998, Counterpart International delivered 1,500 cans of
dehydrated beefsteaks, green beans and potatoes to the Association of
Disabled People of Kutaisi.
Health
>From 19 August 1998 onward, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is
making 35,000 doses of a DPT (diphtheria/pertusis/tetanus) vaccine
available nation-wide through polyclinics. The vaccine is for infants up to
one year. UNICEF anticipates that it will have an additional 164,000 doses
of the vaccine after 27 August. It is anticipated that doses should cover
DPT vaccination needs for the remainder of the year.
In August the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) donated and
delivered 5,750 doses of MMR II vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella German
measles) to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), which will
provide cold storage and distribution to Imereti, Mtskheta, Adjara, Shida
Kartli, Tskhinvali, Java, and Znauri regions. Also the vaccines were
delivered to Sukhumi, to IDP children from the Gali region, and to
orphanages in Tbilisi and Tskhneti.
>From 30 July to 9 August 1998, Counterpart International distributed:
medical furniture, medical clothing and training equipment to the hospital
for disabled people in Kutaisi, medical furniture, functional beds with
mattresses, medical cabinets and food for patients with special dietary
needs to the maternity house and surgical department of the Zugdidi Central
Hospital, and medical furniture, clothing and supplies to the regional
hospital in Mestia, Svaneti.
>From 10 to 20 August 1998, Counterpart International delivered: medical
supplies to Tbilisi Polyclinic no. 3, an EKG machine to the Sukhumi
Republican Hospital, 10 heaters, 10 surgical gowns and one box of
disposable gloves to the Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled People in
Chiatura, and a dental armchair to the Kutaisi polyclinic for IDPs.
>From 20 to 29 August 1998, Counterpart International provided a cabinet and
cart for medicines, a medical cabinet, disposable sheets, medical uniforms
and medical supplies to the Children's Hospital in Ozurgeti, Guria. Also,
168 IDP families from the Gali region currently living at the Paper Factory
in Zugdidi were assisted with blankets. On 25 August 1998, the organisation
delivered disposable sheets, medical and laboratory supplies, surgical
instruments, bed pans, and clothing for medical personnel to the Republican
Hospital in Zugdidi for victims of the terrorist act in the city.
Multisectoral assistance to IDPs
The Iranian Red Cross has sent humanitarian assistance to newly arrived
IDPs from the Gali region. The aid included 15 MTs of flour, 5 MTs of rice,
5 MTs of grain, 10,000 tins of canned meat, 5, 000 tins of canned fish, 500
blankets, and 200 aluminium dishes.
UNICEF has provided OXFAM with classroom kits and chalks for distribution
to primary schools in the Zugdidi region.
UNICEF has provided the Georgian National Centre for Euro-Asian Youth
Cooperation with classroom kits and chalks for distribution to 450 IDP
children from the Gali region, currently spending their summer holidays at
the Borjomi Sanatorium.
Shelter
The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) accomplished its South
Ossetia Rehabilitation Project funded by UNDP (USD 321,661). The main
objective of the project was the rehabilitation of houses damaged during
the conflict. The project targeted 20 communal houses in Tskhinvali, 27
individual houses in Ossetian villages and 14 individual houses in Georgian
villages. The project is part of UNDP's USD 2 million rehabilitation
programme in the areas affected by the Georgian-Ossetian conflict.
>From 30 July to 9 August 1998, Counterpart International distributed:
school furniture, books and paper to the local art school in Tkibuli,
Imereti, special clothing, first aid kits and beds with mattresses to
fire-fighters and mountain rescue workers in Tkibuli, Imereti, school
desks, books, paper and clothing for 120 children to the orphanage in
Mestia, and beds with mattresses and children's clothing to 159 IDP
families currently living in the local college in Zugdidi.
On 21 August 1998, Counterpart International plans to open a Charity House
with a free canteen for vulnerable people in Chiatura. The organisation
provided the Charity House, through the Administration of Chiatura, with 20
space heaters, 1 refrigerator, 3 gas stoves, 2 medical cabinets, 10 wooden
bedside tables, 25 functional beds, 25 plastic chairs and 1 wooden table.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
OCHA is pleased to bring the existence of its Field Reference Library to
the attention of readers
The library is intended for use by the humanitarian and development
community in Georgia, and contains material pertinent to the history and
current scale of aid in the region. The material has been gathered by OCHA
over the last five years. The library should be particularly useful for
newly arrived staff, who can use the resources to learn about activities in
the various sectors and political, social and economic context in which aid
is provided.
Among other material, the library contains: Georgian government reports,
public donor documents, UN Agencies' briefing packs and published
documents, aid agencies' public assessments, internet research and press
reports on the areas of unresolved conflict, and newspapers published in
Tbilisi and Tskhinvali, in English, Georgian, and Russian. The library is
open during office hours, provided there are no meetings taking place in
the same room. Please telephone OCHA in advance should you, or your staff,
wish to visit the library.
Any additional material for the library would be gratefully received.
Please contact Ms. Helena Fraser, Field Adviser, or Ms. Nino Zhvania,
Information Officer, who are coordinating the collection of resources for
the library.
>From 15 to 21 September 1998, the Second International Conference on
Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk Reduction, sponsored by the
International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR), based at the
United Nations in Geneva, and the Government of the Republic of Armenia
will be held in Yerevan. The Conference is dedicated to the tenth
anniversary of the Spitak earthquake.
The Conference will sum up the achievements and experiences of different
countries in disaster reduction since 1998, provide an in-depth scientific
examination of earthquake hazard, earthquake engineering, and seismic risk
reduction and elaborate models for effective disaster reduction in the
future.
The Association -Sapekhurebi- (stages) is a Georgian NGO, registered in
March 1998. The aim of the organisation is to help vulnerable people to
overcome educational, social and medical problems.
During its existence the association has distributed clothing and food to
the Dzegvi orphanage, clothing, food, and drawing kits to the Martkhkopi
orphanage, medicaments and food to IDPs living in Jvari village, and
essential drugs to the children's hospital in Tbilisi.
The association, together with Lazarus and the Dzegvi Children's Centre,
has organised a seminar entitled -Village development in sustainable
systems - model of the Dzegvi Children's Centre-.
Recently the association received a grant from the Horizonti Foundation for
an educational programme in the Martkhopi orphanage. The programme
envisages opening a library and a drawing class at the orphanage, holding
language and drawing lessons, organising an exhibition of children's
pictures, and other cultural activities.
The association is ready to cooperate with all interested organisations and
individuals.
Tel: (995 32) 22 32 97 or 29 23 78, Fax: 22 32 97, E-mail:
sofie@gtz.org.ge
The Federation of Children of Abkhazia is a Georgian NGO registered in
April 1996. The aim of the organisation is to help internally displaced
children to overcome educational, social and medical problems. During its
existence the organisation has distributed clothing and food to street
children, to IDP children living in Tskhneti, in Children's Hospital no. 4,
in the Children's Rehabilitation Centre, in the Tskhneti Orphanage, and in
the Hotel Iveria. Essential drugs were also delivered to Tbilisi Hospital
no. 2 and Organisation -Apkhazeti-.
The organisation has received a grant from UNV for establishing an IDP
children's football team, and from Open Society Georgia Foundation and the
Norwegian Refugee Council for organising a New Year celebration for IDP
children.
The organisation has several projects still in need of funding. One
envisages the establishment of cultural houses for IDP children in eastern
and western Georgia. The project aims at promoting gifted children by
providing a forum in which their skills can be revealed.
The organisation is ready to cooperate with all interested organisations
and individuals. Tel: (995 32) 95 62 48, 29 87 30, 67 13 80
On 28 August 1998, organisations from both the development and humanitarian
communities came together to launch the new Working Group on Enhancing
Capacities for Self-sufficiency. The new Working Group evolved from the
international community's response to the May events in Gali as a forum for
defining a strategy that will promote the rapid movement of some persons,
including new IDPs, from emergency assistance into the kinds of development
oriented programmes that will provide opportunities for greater
self-sufficiency. In an effort to promote sustainable solutions, the
strategy will emphasise enhancing personal capacities as well as the
capacities of host communities. It is understood, however, that enhancing
personal capacities does not alone guarantee a sustainable solution for
persons currently dependent on emergency aid. The Working Group, therefore
will also consider the kinds of government policies and capacities
necessary to support the movement towards self-sufficiency in the long
term.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
United Nations Office in Tbilisi, Georgia
Ms. Nino Zhvania Information Officer
Tel.: (995 32) 94 31 63 - Fax: (995 32) 95 95 16
E-Mail: ocha@access.sanet.ge
Complex Emergency Response / Consolidated Appeal Process (CER/CAP) - Geneva
Mr. Ernest Chipman - Chief
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1402 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Annette.Choquet@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. David McLachlan-Karr
Tel.: (1 212) 963.0226 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: mclachlan-karr@un.org
Information Service
Ms. Therese Gastaut - Director
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2300 - Fax: (41 22) 917.0030
E-Mail: tgastaut@unog.ch
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