Daily Report for 22 August 2008

Emergency Operation in Georgia

Displacements caused by recent conflict over South Ossetia Displacement within Georgia excl. South Ossetia 98,600 Displacement within South Ossetia 30,000 Sub Total Georgia 128,600 Displacement to Russian Federation 30,000 Displacements Total 158,600 In addition, Georgia has a caseload of 220,000 IDPs from previous crises.

Displacement in the delta of the river Enguri UNHCR has today discovered a typical situation of night displacement in the delta of the river Enguri in Western Georgia.

The right river bank, which used to be Georgian, is now under Abkhaz control and a total of 59 families (some 240 people) from the village of Ganmuhuri crossed the river in the evening on boats to spend the night with host families in Anaklia, the village on the other side. During the day the IDPs cross the river again to go home to work on their fields, especially now during the heights of the hazelnut harvest.

UNHCR met with the mayor of Anaklia and promised to deliver blankets and some additional kitchen sets for the displaced and the host families.

In this region, there are also plenty of old IDP families displaced during the conflict in the 1990’s and they too will receive blankets to make it easier for them to host the new IDPs.

UNHCR to draft the strategy on shelter

In a shelter coordination meeting which took place yesterday, it was agreed that UNHCR will draft the overall strategy for shelter by the end of the week. The strategy will be shared with all humanitarian partners on Monday, for information and comments, before its presentation to the Georgian Government later next week.

The interventions are envisaged to entail both, emergency repair in the areas affected by the fighting, such as Gori, Poti and Senaki, as well as an upgrading of IDP centers in Tbilisi which are likely to remain inhabited by IDPs not willing to return to their homes.

According to UNHCR’s assessments in both the Gori region and Western Georgia, private buildings and collective centers have been damaged by bombings. In some centers, latrines and water supplies have to be addressed. Repairs will start as soon as possible.

UNHCR Representation in Georgia 0160 Tbilisi 2a Kazbegi Ave tel.: ++995 32 152 054 tel. +995 99 152 054 fax +995 32 385 422 e-mail: [email protected] Media contact: Melita H. Sunjic, Spokesperson Tel. +995 95 115460 e-mail:[email protected]

Distribution updates In the Imereti region in Western Georgia between today and tomorrow, practically all IDPs will have been visited and offered primary assistance (blankets, kitchen sets and jerry-cans) by UNHCR. New IDPs reside in 18 collective centers, located in 14 towns or villages. According to UNHCR information, there is a case load of approximately 12 000 IDPs.

Additional needs that emerged during the visit are hygienic kits and mattresses which continue to be distributed by ICRC and NRC, as requested by UNHCR. There is also a shortage of baby food on the market as deliveries from Tbilisi have not been able to reach the area.

UNHCR also continued the aid distribution in the Eastern Georgia today. After covering Telavi and Akhmeta regions, the convoy reached Kvareli region at 2 p.m, planning to continue to the direction of Lagodekhi. Today, the team has already distributed blankets and jerry-cans to some 1108 individuals (527 families). The distribution is foreseen to continue in the Kakheti region tomorrow.

In the Atheni Valley, the UNHCR distribution started last night and continued today by the local authorities, to whom the rest of the non-food items were handed over. So far 720 blankets, 13 tents and 360 kitchen sets have been handed over to the Atheni Valley IDPs.

UNHCR welcomes Georgian Civil Registry Agency’s registration efforts UNHCR explicitly welcomed the swift efforts of the Georgian Civil Registry Agency (CRA) to register individually all new IDPs from South Ossetia, the Upper Kodori Valley, Gori and other areas affected by the recent conflict. The endeavor was encouraged by and conducted in co-operation with UNHCR.

Such registration will not only help in tracing family members, but it will also allow the authorities and the international and national humanitarian actors to better plan and deliver their assistance.

Moreover, proper registration will help to promptly replace documents left behind or lost during the flight. Issuance of substitute documentation, by way of temporary IDP cards is important as it will allow the IDPs to have access to their bank accounts and to receive their pensions, as well as social and other benefits. Documentation will also secure access to social and other services. UNHCR will continue to cooperate with the CRA on registration matters with a view to upgrade the IT equipment and software used, to introduce additional safeguards against double or incorrect registration and to receive more refined data.