ave the Children Assisting Families Caught in Cross Fire of Russia-Georgia Conflict
WESTPORT, Conn. (August 10, 2008) -- Save the Children is moving quickly to provide assistance to thousands of children and family members caught in the cross fire of an armed conflict raging in the mountainous breakaway region of South Ossetia bordering on Russia and Georgia.
Save the Children staff in Georgia expressed special concern for affected families in Tskinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, and in the nearby town of Gori across the border in Georgia. Hundreds of people have died and been injured in the two cities since fighting broke out between Georgia and Russian-backed South Ossetia forces on Thursday night. South Ossetia has long been a source of tension between Georgia and Russia since the region broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s.
Save the Children welcomed news announced earlier today of a possible ceasefire and a withdrawal of troops from South Ossetia.
"We need to assist thousands of families caught in the middle of this conflict,"said Tom Vincent, Save the Children's Country Director in Georgia. "We are especially concerned about families in Tskinvali as well as families living in the nearby town of Gori across the border in Georgia. The fighting has been very intense since Thursday night and it appears many families do not have access to clean water. We welcome news announced earlier today of a possible ceasefire and withdrawal of troops."
Vincent said that hospitals in Tskinvali and in Gori have been overwhelmed with injured patients and are running out of medical equipment and supplies.
According to the initial reports coming from U.N. officials, several thousand families (mostly ethnic Georgians) have left their homes and moved from South Ossetia into Gori, Rustavi and Mtskheta districts of Georgia.
As part of its initial response, Save the Children's office in Georgia is preparing to assist 10,000 children and family members affected by the conflict, providing families with basic health and hygiene supplies as well as cooking provisions and other household items.
"Save the Children has committed $50,000 so far to our initial emergency response, but we estimate that these resources will only begin to meet the needs of children caught up in this conflict," Vincent said.
Save the Children has worked in Georgia since 1993, focusing on helping the country's most vulnerable populations including street children and displaced families as well as assisting communities in meeting basic needs in health, education, and livelihoods. Save the Children also works in Abkhazia, a separate breakaway region affected by the conflict, bordering Georgia and the Black Sea. Save the Children has temporarily suspended operations in Abkhazia, pending further developments.
Media Contacts
Mike Kiernan: mkiernan@savechildren.org; 202-480-0614 (Cell); 202-640-6630 (Office)
Eileen Burke: eburke@savechildren.org; 203-216-0718 (Cell)
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
A man from Georgia waves a Georgian flag during a demonstration in front of the Russian Embassy in Prague August 12, 2008. He is protesting against Russia's military campaign in Georgia. ...
