GEORGIA: IDP UPDATE

UNCLAS TBILISI 001351 DEPT FOR TASK FORCE ONE, EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: IDP UPDATE ¶1. Embassy officers attended a disaster response management meeting August 10 led by the UN Resident Country Director Robert Watkins. Representatives of the major UN agencies, NGO's and donor organizations discussed the GOG's stated humanitarian response requirements and how best to coordinate efforts to meet those requirements. Humanitarian needs were organized into six distinct sectors: protection, shelter and non-food items, food, logistics, water/sanitation and health nutrition. Support for IDP's, under the "protection" sector is being coordinated by UNHCR Senior Program Officer Rita Richter. Richter provided information on the IDP situation based on her observations and data provided by the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation (MRA). IDP's: Who? How many? Where are they going? -------------- ¶2. The IDP's are ethnic Georgians from South Ossetia and the Gori region. There are also media reports that Georgians from the Kodori Valley are moving to the town of Tsahltubo. A UNOMIG representative stated that residents of the Upper Kodori began evacuating Saturday evening. MRA estimated a maximum number of 10,000 IDP's from the South Ossetia conflict, given that the entire population ethnic Georgians in South Ossetia is not more than 20,000. The population of the city of Gori is approximately 50,000, and UNHCR is conducting an assessment of IDP needs there today. ¶3. The MRA has established IDP "Collection Centers" in Tbilisi, Mtskheta (between Gori and Tbilisi),Sagarejo, Lagodekhi and Gori. The MRA hopes to register and provide IDP identity documents to the new arrivals. UNHCR's Richter notes that IDP's are just arriving at these centers, so it is premature to begin tabulating IDP populations. The MRA told UNHCR that the Tbilisi center has a capacity of 700, and the Mtskheta center can hold 500. As of noon today however, the Mtskheta center was fully prepared, but empty. UNICEF will be shortly conducting an assessment of collection centers to assess medical and health needs of IDP's. IDP's are not leaving the conflict areas in an organized way - private cars are packed with people, some are taking shared taxis (marshrutkas) and others are on foot trying to hitch rides. Richter observed that no one seemed to be carrying a great deal of household goods, a sign to her that people harbor hopes they will soon return to their homes. NGOs and Supply Provisions -------------- ¶4. Major NGO's involved in IDP support are Save the Children, Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council, and Actions Contre La Hambre, as well as a number of local NGO's. UNHCR mentioned they had 31 school tents, which could sleep 50 people, in country. They also said they had a stored quantity of blankets and kitchen sets, with funds for mattresses for up to 3,000 people. UNHCR's warehouse stock in Dubai -- sufficient for needs of 15,000 -- could arrive in country in one week, provided the Tbilisi airport is open. The NGO Counterpart International announced that it has provided 400 bedding sets today to the MRA. It has 8 large (90'x80') tents, which will be delivered to the MRA tonight or tomorrow. ¶5. Participants in today's meeting will gather again August 11 to address the evolving situation and hear directly from Minister of Health Kavitashvili on the GOG's continuing support requirements. TEFFT