Georgia - OCHA-09: 01-30.Sep.98
Georgia - OCHA-09: 01-30.Sep.98
Situation Report from the OCHA Coordinator in GEORGIA - No. 9
Period covered: September 1998
Enhancing Capacities for Self-sufficiency
As announced in OCHA's last information bulletin, organisations from the
international development and humanitarian community have come together to
form the new Working Group on Enhancing Capacities for Self-sufficiency.
The new Working Group chaired by OCHA, provides a forum for defining a
strategy that promotes the rapid movement of some persons, including new
IDPs, from emergency assistance into the kinds of development-oriented
programmes that will give 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.
To accomplish these goals, the Working Group has divided responsibilities
among four focus groups: capacity building and community empowerment,
agriculture, income generation and shelter.
Over the next four to six weeks, each focus group will identify the
organisations and programmes in its sector, as well as their geographic
distribution. Based upon this information the groups will identify gaps and
make recommendations for future programming. Additionally, the focus groups
will consider the common structural obstacles facing programmes with an aim
to providing recommendations for their resolution.
The information compiled by the focus groups will be submitted to the
Working Group which will combine it into the overall strategy.
In the reporting period of this bulletin, each of the focus groups has
already held at least one session with the exception of shelter. At the
meeting of the Capacity Building and Community Empowerment focus group,
participants agreed that in order to best compliment the work of the other
groups, strategies for enhancing capacities that are not necessarily
focused on the agriculture, income generation or shelter sectors should be
considered. Also, participants felt the focus group should look at
strategies for enhancing capacities that do not necessarily focus on IDPs
or even vulnerable persons, but which nonetheless may have particular
effects on them in the course of affecting all Georgians.
At the meeting of the focus group on agriculture, participants concentrated
on identifying common, pressing issues affecting programmes and the ability
of persons to become more self-reliant. Access to land and land laws,
access to training opportunities, resource management, access to inputs
including credit and coordination both with and within the government were
considered.
At the meeting of the income generation focus group, participants discussed
the need to establish a more substantial number of linkages between
micro-credit programmes and projects in other sectors, particularly
agriculture. The primary point of discussion in the income generation focus
group, however, were the negative effects of Georgia's present law
regarding the Activities of Commercial Banks. Despite the ongoing success
of micro-credit programmes, the present law raises questions regarding the
legal status of some programmes. Under the law, agencies funded by a
separate donor and wishing to issue credits must obtain a license as an
official financial institution from the National Bank. This is issued only
if GEL 5 million has been deposited as security capital. Micro-credit
agencies unable to fulfil this requirement, or operating without a license,
are considered illegal. It is hoped that this situation can be resolved
when the government considers a revision of the banking law and an
amendment regarding NGO micro-credit programmes this autumn.
In the shelter sector, issues related to the Working Group will be taken up
by the Zugdidi-based shelter group that developed as part of the
international community's emergency response to the humanitarian situation
in Samegrelo following May's outbreak of fighting in Gali. Unfortunately,
due to difficulties that have developed in the shelter sector, involving
the movement of IDPs currently housed in schools to shelters rehabilitated
by the international community at the request of the government, the
shelter group has not yet been able to address the questions of the Working
Group. The problems currently faced by the shelter group, however, are an
example of the structural problems the focus groups are to consider. The
international community has not yet been able to obtain assurances that the
government will take responsibility for the shelters after their complete
rehabilitation, and the completion of room assignments by the international
community. This reluctance has, unfortunately, delayed the beginning of the
school year for many communities.
Danish Refugee Council Visits Zugdidi, Sukhumi, and Tskhinvali
The Coordinator for the International Department of the Danish Refugee
Council (DRC) and a Danish journalist visited Zugdidi and Sukhumi from 14
to 16 September, and Tskhinvali on 21 September. The delegation also
travelled to Azerbaijan. The purpose of the visit was to raise awareness in
Denmark of the humanitarian situation in the southern Caucasus prior to a
DRC conference entitled Conflict and Forced Displacement in the Caucasus:
Perspectives, Challenges, and Responses, scheduled to take place in
Copenhagen on 28 to 30 September. OCHA facilitated the visit to western
Georgia, and the Norwegian Refugee Council facilitated the visit to
Tskhinvali.
Inauguration of the Georgian Public Defender's Office
On 12 September 1998, the Office of Public Defender of Georgia was
inaugurated in Tbilisi. The opening was attended by the Georgian President
Eduard Shevardnadze, representatives from the Georgian government,
diplomatic corps, international organisations operating in Georgia, local
NGOs working in the field of human rights, and mass-media.
In his speech the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (RHC) underlined
that a country's place and authority in the international community is
determined by how it complies with the principles of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and expressed hope that -the greatest benefits
from a successful pursuit by the Public Defender, will likely flow to
those who are most vulnerable in society. These are the people who are most
likely to experience human rights violations and least able to defend
themselves, including women, children, minorities, persons with mental or
physical disabilities, prisoners, refugees and internally displaced
persons. It is the responsibility of this office to facilitate these
people's access to the advantages that the introduction of democracy,
civic and economic reforms are brining.-
Further in his speech the RHC drew attendants' attention to the fact that
one of UNDP's highest priorities is sustaining the process of cooperation
between UN Agencies and national and regional human rights institutions.
For this purpose UNDP is launching a programme to assist capacity building
of the Public Defender's Office. Establishment of a human rights library
within the premises of the office, fully open and accessible to the public,
is envisaged in the framework of the programme.
Finally, the RHC wished the Public Defender and his staff success in their
efforts to protect and promote human rights in Georgia.
The Second International Conference on Earthquake Hazard and Seismic Risk
Reduction
The Second International Conference on -Earthquake and Seismic Risk
Reduction,- the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR)
Regional Conference for the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) and Central and Eastern Europe, commemorating the 10th
anniversary of the Spitak earthquake, was held in Yerevan from 15 to 21
September 1998.
The meeting brought together more than 300 participants from 43 countries.
The participants included local and national decision-makers, scientists,
disaster reduction experts and representatives from research institutes.
Representatives from the private sector and the media also attended. The
conference was sponsored by the Government of the Republic of Armenia and
the IDNDR Secretariat, and organised by the National Survey for Seismic
Protection (NSSP) of the Republic of Armenia.
The conference summarised the experiences and achievements of different
countries in the field of seismic risk reduction and other natural disaster
reduction, and discussed possible strategies for disaster reduction in the
21st century. Discussions and presentations stressed that disaster
reduction should continue to be a major priority in regional, national and
international development and civil protection strategies. The participants
reaffirmed the central importance of disaster reduction as an essential
element of government policy and noted the need to move away from a
disaster response oriented approach towards disaster prevention and
reduction methodologies.
The participants welcomed the agreements on cooperation reached between the
Seismological Surveys of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia based on the
understanding that the nature of seismic hazards is trans-boundary and
trans-regional and that close collaboration between the countries of the
region is necessary for protecting the population against severe
earthquakes. Finally, the participants of the conference adopted
recommendations and expressed their gratitude to the Government of Armenia,
UN/IDNDR, and NSSP of Armenia.
Food Aid Coordination Meeting
On 23 September 1998, a food aid coordination meeting was held at the
Tbilisi-based Caucasus Regional Office of the World Food Programme (WFP).
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Coordination
Department for International Humanitarian Aid (CDIHA), the US Agency for
International Development (USAID), the European Community Humanitarian
Office (ECHO), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (the Federation), the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), CARE-Georgia, the International Orthodox Christian Charities
(IOCC), and the Salvation Army (TSA).
The meeting was opened by the chairman - the Regional Coordinator of WFP.
He noted that from September 1998 to July 1999, WFP would concentrate on
food-for-work (FFW) activities in Georgia rather than on free
distributions. FFW emphasis will remain focused on rehabilitation of roads,
bridges, schools, drainage systems, irrigation and tea plantations. WFP
plans to purchase non-food items that will facilitate implementation of
such projects. It is anticipated that FFW activities during the September
to July period will total 4,400,000 working days. This averages out to
approximately 20,000 workers per month.
Due to low implementation rates for FFW activities during winter months
however, WFP also plans a winter programme consisting of a two month, free
food distribution for approximately 65,000 vulnerable persons, including
old IDPs. Additionally, it anticipated a three-month distribution for about
30,000 new IDPs in the Samegrelo region.
At present WFP's anticipated food stores will enable it to continue FFW
until the end of this year. WFP is therefore, concerned about raising
resources necessary to implement the winter programme in favour of the most
vulnerable and for the continuation of the FFW programme.
At the meeting, organisations also discussed activities related to the food
distribution strategy for western Georgia developed through the working
group coordination mechanisms used by the international community in its
response to the May conflict in Gali. The Federation reported that on
21 September it started its final distribution of 16,900 food parcels in
Tsalenjikha and Zugdidi regions. Simultaneously the organisation is
distributing food parcels to single pensioners. These distributions follow
an ICRC distribution in August of 6,520 food parcels to 6,720 families in
Samegrelo. ECHO noted that these programmes for IDPs as well as a
distribution by Accion Contra el Hambre (ACH) were EU funded.
In line with the food strategy, IOCC reported that it continues running
three soup kitchens in Jvari and Zugdidi for newly arrived IDPs from the
Gali region. According to TSA its two canteens in western Georgia have over
3,000 beneficiaries: 1,600 in Zugdidi and 1,700 in Jvari. The TSA programme
will last till 15th of October.
In other food coordination matters, ECHO reported that it has provided
funding for a CARE-Georgia food distribution in western Georgia. On 5
October CARE-Georgia will resume distribution of food to vulnerable
populations in mountainous areas. The parcels contain nine kg. of wheat
flour, two lit. of oil, 750 gr. of iodised salt and one kg. of sugar.
In November IOCC will start distribution of wheat flour, beans and soybean
oil to vulnerable population in Samtskhe-Javakheti, Guria and Samegrelo.
Participants agreed to hold the next meeting in the beginning of December
1998.
SECTORS
Capacity Building for local NGOs and IDPs
On 1 August 1998, the Charity Humanitarian Centre Apkhazeti (CHCA) launched
a nine-month project entitled -Development of organisational and technical
capacity through individual and group loans- which is funded by the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Dutch Government and the Canadian
Embassy in Turkey. The project is being implemented in Imereti and
Samegrelo and it envisages organisational development of CHCA, business
training for 200 IDPs, issuing 10 business credits for IDPs, and issuing
small credits for 10-15 credit groups.
>From 4 to 9 September 1998, a training course entitled -WAGGGS (World
Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) Management Course for NGOs-
took place in Tabakhmela. The workshop was carried out in the framework of
the 20-month project -Non-formal Education of Girls in the Caucasus Area,-
funded by Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States
(TACIS) and Phare. Implementing partners were WAGGGS and Georgian Girl
Scouts Association. The training was attended by representatives from
Georgian, Armenian and Azerbaijanian NGOs. The course included training for
NGO staff in basic management skills - proposal writing, budgeting,
reporting, and monitoring of expenditures.
Food
The Italian Government has sent 280,000 kg. of rice and 124,900 kg. of
potato flour to the vulnerable population and IDPs of Georgia. The aid will
distributed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has completed
distribution of food parcels in the Samegrelo region. From 17 to 24 August
1998, 6,720 families (21,915 persons) received 6,520 food parcels.
>From 21 to 28 September 1998, Counterpart International, through its
partner organisation -Samani,- provided 120 pensioners in Tbilisi with
pasta, dried potatoes and dehydrated beef.
Health
On 4 September 1998, Counterpart International delivered disposable bed
sheets, gloves, uniforms for medical personnel, a blood pressure gauge and
other medical supplies to the regional hospital of Ambrolauri.
The Georgian Parliamentarian Committee on Health and Social Issues, with
the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) technical support initiated a process of
strengthening the legislative framework for the production and distribution
of iodised salt.
On 18 September 1998, the National Centre for Disease Control completed
distribution of Diphtheria - Pertusis - Tetanus (DPT) vaccines, received
from UNICEF. Distribution occurred in Tbilisi, Mtskheta,
Samtskhe-Javakheti, Adjara, Tskhneti, Abkhazia, Racha-Lechkhumi, Shida
Kartli, and Poti regions.
>From 9 to 20 September 1998, Counterpart International delivered medical
furniture and equipment, including an EKG machine, to the polyclinic in
Tskhaltubo supporting IDPs, an ambulance to the polyclinic for IDPs in
Zugdidi, and gynecological medical furniture and medicines to IDPs from the
Gali region presently living at the Paper Factory in Zugdidi.
UNICEF in collaboration with KIWANIS INTERNATIONAL supported the
Subcommittee on Health Issues of the Parliament of Georgia and
International Fund -Janmrteloba- to conduct the social mobilisation and
awareness creation week on Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD), held 21-27
September 1998. The campaign was officially launched at a press-conference
held in the Parliament Building on 17 September by the organisers of the
event. The IDD week, which covered the whole territory of Georgia, embraced
the following activities: a series of TV programmes with participation of
UNICEF country programme coordinator, parliamentarians, government
officials and medical professionals, broadcast everyday during the week, a
TV commercial specially produced for this event broadcast several times a
day, daily radio programmes highlighting the problem of IDD in Georgia,
lectures on IDD, delivered by medical professors and academicians in
different institutes and universities, posters produced and placed in
public transport, different organisations, shops and market places, two
different kinds of leaflets for adults and for children, newsletter and a
special issue of the newspaper Akhali Karabadini dedicated to IDD problem
produced and distributed among the general public, articles on IDD
published in leading newspapers. Members of the Youth Parliament of Georgia
took an active part in distribution of the printed materials and the
campaign itself was highlighted by almost all TV channels.
>From 20 to 30 September 1998, Counterpart International delivered medical
furniture and equipment, including an EKG machine, to the Hospital of
Saberio.
Human Rights Education
40 participants - human rights teachers, methodologists and school masters
- from all parts of Georgia, except Javakheti and Abkhazia, participated in
the second-level Human Rights Training for Trainers seminar, held by the
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) together with the Georgian Central
Institute on Teachers' Training (ITT) from 7-11 September 1998. From 13-16
September, the training was repeated in Tskhinvali by the Scandinavian half
of the training team.
At these seminars 2,000 copies of a Georgian Human Rights Education
Handbook for Teachers, developed by Scandinavian and Georgian authors, were
made available in Tbilisi, and 1,000 Russian translations of the
Scandinavian Generic Human Rights Education Handbook for the Caucasus plus
400 Guidebooks for Ossetian Teachers developed by Ossetian authors were
made available in Tskhinvali. NRC, in cooperation with the Ministry of
Education (MoE), anticipates distributing the Human Rights Education
Handbooks throughout Georgia. In the meantime MoE has requested that 10
copies of each handbook be placed in the national library.
Multisectoral Assistance to IDPs
The NRC assisted the local NGO Third Age with funds so that its performance
art troupe, Georgian Song and Dance Ensemble of Abkhazian IDPs, could buy
necessary traditional instruments and costumes for performing its first
concert at the Metekhi Castle on 22 September 1998.
The NRC-supported local NGO, Women in Business, has set up a home and
office cleaning bureau. They are available for all kinds of house and
office cleaning jobs, either on a one-time basis or on contract. In
addition to this new service, the twelve IDP women are continuing to
provide their laundry and dry cleaning bureau, shoe repair, and hair,
manicure and pedicure salon. All these initiatives run by Women in Business
are located at Hotel Sakartvelo.
Shelter
>From 1 to 10 September 1998, Counterpart International delivered: beds,
mattresses, pillows, blankets, desks, chairs, cabinets, paper and books to
the boarding school of Tsalenjikha, functional beds, folding beds and space
heater to IDPs from the Gali region currently living at the Paper Factory
in Zugdidi, and trousers, sailors' shirts, shorts and jackets to 10,394
IDPs living in Tskhaltubo.
The Lutheran World Relief (LWR) donated quilts and sweaters to the UNHCR
Branch Office in Tbilisi. The items will be delivered to UNHCR field
warehouses in Gori and Zugdidi for future distribution to IDP/returnee
children. A total of 425 bales of quilts (25 quilts in each bale) and 125
bales of sweaters (100 - 120 pounds per bale) will be delivered to Zugdidi.
At the same time, 435 bales of quilts and 125 bales of sweaters will be
sent to the Gori UNHCR warehouse. The aid will be dispatched from the USA
on 3 October 1998.
>From 9 to 20 September 1998, Counterpart International delivered: clothes
to 160 IDPs workers involved in collecting tea in Tskhaltubo, Imereti and
to 100 IDPs, working at the Kutaisi branch of the Sukhumi factory
-Orgtekhnika-, clothes to 430 families, including IDPs, in Chuber/Khaishi,
Svaneti, clothes and food to 200 disabled pensioners in Tbilisi,
children's clothes, shoes and food to 303 families displaced from Svaneti
and currently living in Bolnisi, clothes and food to 48 IDP families in
Tsalenjikha.
>From June to August 1998, the Evangelical Mission Society of America (EMSA)
delivered humanitarian aid to children living in different regions of
Georgia. The Tbilisi Sanatorium received second-hand clothes, Tbilisi
boarding school no. 1 - vitamins, Tbilisi boarding school no. 2 - vitamins,
shoes and I2 salt, Akhalgori orphanage - second-hand clothes and toys,
Surami orphanage - second-hand clothes, fabric, I2 salt and vitamins,
Kojori orphanage - second-hand clothes and vitamins, and Kajreti
rehabilitation centre - clothes, vitamins, and I2 salt.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The 1998 Human Development Report was released on 9 September 1998.
Accompanying launch events took place in 100 world capitals. The main
international unveilings were held in the Hague, Netherlands and in New
York. These events were attended by the Principle Coordinator of the
Report, and the UNDP Administrator, respectively.
The report, commissioned by UNDP, looks at the global consumption boom. It
focuses on patterns and disparities in human consumption. It reveals that
despite a dramatic increase in consumption of goods and services globally,
over one billion people lack means to meet basic needs.
The United Nations Development Programme, Georgia (UNDP) is preparing a Web
Page. The Web Page will include UNDP-Georgia activities, background
information on UNDP, public UNDP documents, discussion papers, a list of
staff members and more. The page will start functioning sometime in the
fall. The address of the page is: www.UNDP.org.ge
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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