GEORGIA CARE International Set To Aid Civilians Caught in Conflict

TBILISI, GEORGIA (August 10, 2008) – CARE and other humanitarian agencies are coordinating with the United Nations to provide assistance to tens of thousands of people displaced by the violent conflict between Georgia and Russia. The immediate needs of the affected populations include medical supplies, shelter, food, water and sanitation.

“The situation is dire, hospitals are overloaded, and people are desperate to find safety for themselves and their families. CARE calls on all parties to end the violence and allow humanitarian organizations access to people in need of assistance,” said David Gazashvili, CARE’s emergency deputy director who is in Georgia during this conflict.

More than 2,000 people, most from South Ossetia, are displaced in Georgia, with another 8,000 expected to come out from hiding in the worst-hit areas and face homelessness and devastation. Some 10 to 20 thousand people have fled across the border to Russia as fighting continues.

CARE is among the agencies under UN coordination to provide basic necessities in the midst of conflict and to assess the long-term needs. CARE has worked in Georgia since 1992, initially providing humanitarian assistance to IDPs, and later working in the sectors of community development, small business development, and good governance. Currently CARE Georgia has over 70 national and expatriate staff in the country working in the southern and eastern parts of Georgia. Their work has been halted by the conflict.