Update on SOS Children in Georgia
12/08/2008
Refugees are given shelter at SOS Children's Villages in Georgia
As a result of the military operations linked to the conflict in South Ossetia, SOS Children's Village in Tbilisi has welcomed more than 65 refugees from South Ossetia who have taken up residence nearby facilities. More refugee families are expected from the Abkhazia area and in total, SOS Children expects to support 350 displaced children and their families. Refugees have been provided with shelter, food and clothes. Some 50 refugees are also being housed near to the SOS Children's Village in Kutaisi.
Update from 14 August 2008 - Mothers and children from the SOS Children's Village in Kutaisi are still evacuated and in safe places outside the town. Three youngsters are currently living at the youth facility; other youths are staying with relatives.
At the SOS Children's Village in Tbilisi the situation is calm. Five youngsters are living at the SOS Youth Home, the youngsters from the other two projects are currently staying with their biological families.
The general country situation is described by a colleague from Georgia as followed: "Yesterday evening we were informed that some cities in Georgia were bombed but today the situation seems to be more peaceful than yesterday. Despite the fact that the Russian president signed a ceasefire agreement yesterday, shootings and bombings still continued. Furthermore Russian tanks and soldiers are present in various cities in eastern and western parts of Georgia. Travelling is dangerous as there are many cases of looting. Russian troops also occupied the territory in West Abkhazia. We hope very much that all the talks between different presidents will have some positive impact on further developments."
12 August 2008
Following the military operations in South Ossetia, the children from the SOS Children’s Village Kutaisi and their mothers had to be evacuated.
Kutaisi, the second largest town in Georgia and located 200km west of the capital Tbilisi, has seen fighting which meant an evacuation was necessary in the early hours of Monday 11 August. Children and their SOS mothers had to go and stay with relatives and friends out of town. Male workers stayed at the SOS Children’s Village to prevent possible looting taking place.
Some of the possible military targets are in the vicinity of the SOS Children’s Village.
Swiad Berdsenischwili, director of SOS Children's Villages Georgia, says that the children and staff members of the SOS Children's Village on the outskirts of the capital Tbilisi are not present themselves in the danger zone. Bombing was being reported near the airport, which is on the other side of the capital. In the city itself, the shops are open and electricity and water supplies are still up and running.
The current situation in Georgia, as well as in the capital Tbilisi is at present stabile. According to co-workers in Georgia, Monday night was extremely difficult emotionally and people were waiting for Russian forces to come to Tbilisi. Already people had begun to leave the city, but the president spoke on TV assured that citizens are safe and asked them to stay at home. The situation in the country has not changed during the night, and it seems to be stable.
Tbilisi currently unaffected
The SOS Children's Village Tbilisi is situated in a district where there is no strategic object, so it is thought unlikely that troops might enter it. One girl from the Village was visiting relatives in the village in Gori (the city which was bombed). The relatives brought her back to Tbilisi and she is in the village in Tbilisi and safe now.
Swiad Berdsenischwili, the director of SOS Children's Villages Georgia, visited the village in Kutaisi which is still evacuated. All SOS mothers and children are safe and out of danger in the home villages of the mothers. SOS Children’s Villages Georgia in Tbilisi has nevertheless been closed for the moment.
SOS Children entered Georgia in 1990 to deal with orphans and very poor children left after earlier conflicts with South Ossetia. Our work there is still under funded, child sponsorships are very much needed in this country to support children who are abandoned or whose families are unable to care for them due to poverty, alcoholism and other social factors.
Relevant Countries: Georgia.