OCHA Situation Report No. 8
Georgia
27 August 2008


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 Humanitarian partners continue to have access to Gori as well as 
locations in western and eastern Georgia. However, as of 27 August there 
is no humanitarian access to South Ossetia from the south. ICRC remains 
the only international humanitarian actor that is operational in 
Tskhinvali, South Ossetia.

1.2 Spontaneous and organized returns continue to take place, and an 
estimated 21,000 IDPs have returned since 23 August, mostly to Gori. 
Meanwhile, new displacements have been reported from villages north of 
Gori, near South Ossetia.

1.3 The Government of Georgia (GoG) is facilitating the return of IDPs 
from Tbilisi to Gori and surrounding areas, including the identification 
of temporary accommodation for those without shelter in Gori. 
Additionally, with the support of UNHCR, a small tented camp was set up on 
the edge of Gori that can hold up to 400 of those newly displaced on 26 
August.

1.4 Authorities in Ajara and Imereti regions along with the Georgian 
Ministry of Refugee and Accommodation (MRA) and humanitarian partners have 
been identifying the immediate needs of the returning populations. Access 
to free health care has been facilitated for IDPs by the GoG, and the 
Georgia National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is monitoring for 
outbreaks of communicable diseases in the collective centers in Tbilisi.

1.5 According to the most recent report from the Russian Federation's 
Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM), the current status of the 
estimated 35,300 people who crossed the border into North Ossetia 
following the recent conflict is as follows: 23,609 people have returned 
to South Ossetia; 8,707 are in the North Caucasus staying with relatives; 
and 2,950 people are living in 41 temporary shelters.

1.6 On 25 August, the Southern Federal District authorities began the 
return of South Ossetians to Tskhinvali. EMERCOM's branch in North Ossetia 
has reported that people housed in temporary accommodation centers will 
return to South Ossetia by 1 September.

2.0 Coordination and Humanitarian Response in Georgia - Sectoral Updates

Given the rapidly changing situation on the ground, the Coordination 
Groups in Georgia are enhancing their operational capacity in Gori and are 
discussing possible displacement assumptions to facilitate planning. Draft 
planning assumptions include:

- Immediate return of IDPs in Gori and surrounding villages where control 
has been handed back to Georgian authorities (Timeline: next 30 days, 
Locations: Gori, Kaspi, Khashuri and Samegrelo);

- Later return of IDPs whose villages affected still not under control by 
Georgian authorities (Timeline: March - June 2009; Locations: Kareli and 
villages bordering S. Ossetian border, Gori, Kaspi and Khashuri); and

- Longer-term return of IDPs recently displaced from S. Ossetia which is 
difficult to ascertain and dependent on relations between Tbilisi and 
Tskhinvali (Timeline: n/a, Location: S. Ossetia, Kareli and Upper Khodori 
(Abkhazia)).

An information management working group was established today, bringing 
together information management focal points from the Coordination Groups, 
to look at inter/intra-sectoral information management, including 
supporting the development and implementation of an initial rapid 
assessment of the conflict affected areas.

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=13E3C11417EF4194492574B30003B448&file=Full_Report.pdf


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