The News in Brief
Tuesday, August 19
WFP distributes humanitarian aid to 68,000 IDPs
The UN World Food Program (WFP) has distributed food packages to 68,000 IDPs from the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and Shida Kartli region.
A WFP food package is intended to last 10 days. It consists of flour, sugar, salt, butter, beans, and energy biscuits. The biscuits were delivered to Georgia on August 16, the rest of the foodstuffs were already at a local store house. Distribution began on August 9.
Humanitarian aid has been distributed in Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Rustavi, Gardabani, Akhmeta, Sagarejo and other regions. In Western Georgia humanitarian aid was given to 17,000 IDPs on Sunday.
“We understand that the situation in Gori has now become desperate” said WFP Country Director Lola Castro. “We are providing the government with high energy biscuits and sugar to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable displaced people in the town.” She added that World Vision International was sending canned meat, buckwheat, pasta and tea with the same consignment.
Beginning on Saturday representatives of WFP provided 7,000 needy people with food parcels. The agency has identified bakeries near areas where IDPs have concentrated and is supplying wheat flour to make bread for distribution to the hungry.
According to the organization’s information, since the beginning of the conflict tens of thousands of people have left South Ossetia. A portion of them – approximately 30,000 went to North Ossetia, Russia. (Black Sea Press)
Helicopter arrives to bring Borjomi- Kharagauli forest fire under control
A helicopter has arrived from Turkey to bring the Borjomi- Kharagauli forest fire under control. But according to experts, one helicopter can not solve the problem.
Three individual blazes have been extinguished, but number of places catching fire is permanently rising. (Prime-News)
British Foreign Secretary to visit Georgia – Guardian
David Milliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, will visit Georgia, the Guardian stated on August 18.
Milliband’s visit, which is supposed to be on Wednesday, was announced by Downing Street after Georgian radio had declared that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was intending to visit Georgia.
The Foreign Secretary, in a statement on August 16, commented that “Russia’s aggression against Georgia is unacceptable and contradicts the principle of respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states.”
“The United Kingdom will join the international observation mission in Georgia and will render considerable humanitarian aid. I wait impatiently for the urgent sitting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels on Tuesday where future steps will be discussed with our counterparts”, Milliband said, and added that Russian forces had to be withdrawn immediately from the territory of Georgia as envisaged by the six point ceasefire agreement. (Black Sea Press)
People’s Pharmacy Renders Aid to Over 500 IDPs
People’s Pharmacy has rendered humanitarian aid to over 500 IDPs settled in different regions of Georgia.
People’s Pharmacy Public Relations Manager Tamar Mchedlishvili told Black Sea Press that IDPs had been given over 100 kinds of medical preparations, personal hygiene items, children’s food and others. Hospitals where wounded people are treated have also been provided with necessary medicines.
“People’s Pharmacy has been actively involved in the state relief programme, and, according to an agreement made with the United Fund for Social Protection, delivered necessary medicines to hospitals at the first request”, said Tamar Mchedlishvili. She also noted that in the company’s shops in Tbilisi, Rustavi and Telavi. IDPs are provided with necessary medical preparations if they present a referral from the United Fund for Social Protection. (Black Sea Press)
Estonian Volunteers Participate In IDP Registration Process
Estonian volunteers are helping to register IDPs at the Ministry of Justice. About 50 volunteers arrived apropos the humanitarian mission to Georgia from Estonia on August 14.
Only the IDPs living with their relatives are inscribed in the public register. A special registration software programme has been developed in order to simplify the registration of IDPs under this intense regime. (Prime-News)
OSCE Chairman meets key organizations
The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, is paying a two day visit to Brussels to meet representatives from key organizations involved in handling the Georgia crisis, including the European Union, NATO and the United Nations.
During this visit, Stubb will meet Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht on Monday afternoon. Belgium currently holds the UN Security Council Presidency. On Tuesday, Stubb will meet United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and participate in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. He will also take part in an OSCE Ministerial Troika meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.
The UN World Food Program (WFP) has distributed food packages to 68,000 IDPs from the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone and Shida Kartli region.
A WFP food package is intended to last 10 days. It consists of flour, sugar, salt, butter, beans, and energy biscuits. The biscuits were delivered to Georgia on August 16, the rest of the foodstuffs were already at a local store house. Distribution began on August 9.
Humanitarian aid has been distributed in Tbilisi, Mtskheta, Rustavi, Gardabani, Akhmeta, Sagarejo and other regions. In Western Georgia humanitarian aid was given to 17,000 IDPs on Sunday.
“We understand that the situation in Gori has now become desperate” said WFP Country Director Lola Castro. “We are providing the government with high energy biscuits and sugar to meet the urgent needs of the most vulnerable displaced people in the town.” She added that World Vision International was sending canned meat, buckwheat, pasta and tea with the same consignment.
Beginning on Saturday representatives of WFP provided 7,000 needy people with food parcels. The agency has identified bakeries near areas where IDPs have concentrated and is supplying wheat flour to make bread for distribution to the hungry.
According to the organization’s information, since the beginning of the conflict tens of thousands of people have left South Ossetia. A portion of them – approximately 30,000 went to North Ossetia, Russia. (Black Sea Press)
Helicopter arrives to bring Borjomi- Kharagauli forest fire under control
A helicopter has arrived from Turkey to bring the Borjomi- Kharagauli forest fire under control. But according to experts, one helicopter can not solve the problem.
Three individual blazes have been extinguished, but number of places catching fire is permanently rising. (Prime-News)
British Foreign Secretary to visit Georgia – Guardian
David Milliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, will visit Georgia, the Guardian stated on August 18.
Milliband’s visit, which is supposed to be on Wednesday, was announced by Downing Street after Georgian radio had declared that Prime Minister Gordon Brown was intending to visit Georgia.
The Foreign Secretary, in a statement on August 16, commented that “Russia’s aggression against Georgia is unacceptable and contradicts the principle of respecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states.”
“The United Kingdom will join the international observation mission in Georgia and will render considerable humanitarian aid. I wait impatiently for the urgent sitting of the North Atlantic Council in Brussels on Tuesday where future steps will be discussed with our counterparts”, Milliband said, and added that Russian forces had to be withdrawn immediately from the territory of Georgia as envisaged by the six point ceasefire agreement. (Black Sea Press)
People’s Pharmacy Renders Aid to Over 500 IDPs
People’s Pharmacy has rendered humanitarian aid to over 500 IDPs settled in different regions of Georgia.
People’s Pharmacy Public Relations Manager Tamar Mchedlishvili told Black Sea Press that IDPs had been given over 100 kinds of medical preparations, personal hygiene items, children’s food and others. Hospitals where wounded people are treated have also been provided with necessary medicines.
“People’s Pharmacy has been actively involved in the state relief programme, and, according to an agreement made with the United Fund for Social Protection, delivered necessary medicines to hospitals at the first request”, said Tamar Mchedlishvili. She also noted that in the company’s shops in Tbilisi, Rustavi and Telavi. IDPs are provided with necessary medical preparations if they present a referral from the United Fund for Social Protection. (Black Sea Press)
Estonian Volunteers Participate In IDP Registration Process
Estonian volunteers are helping to register IDPs at the Ministry of Justice. About 50 volunteers arrived apropos the humanitarian mission to Georgia from Estonia on August 14.
Only the IDPs living with their relatives are inscribed in the public register. A special registration software programme has been developed in order to simplify the registration of IDPs under this intense regime. (Prime-News)
OSCE Chairman meets key organizations
The OSCE Chairman-in-Office, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, is paying a two day visit to Brussels to meet representatives from key organizations involved in handling the Georgia crisis, including the European Union, NATO and the United Nations.
During this visit, Stubb will meet Belgian Foreign Minister Karel de Gucht on Monday afternoon. Belgium currently holds the UN Security Council Presidency. On Tuesday, Stubb will meet United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and participate in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. He will also take part in an OSCE Ministerial Troika meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.