WFP Provides Food To Thousands Displaced By Conflict In Georgia

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has
started
providing food assistance to more than 2,000 people displaced by
the
escalating conflict in Georgia, where hundreds of people have been
killed
and thousands more have fled their homes since fighting began in the
region
of South Ossetia on Friday.



Over the weekend, in response to a request from the Georgian
Government,
WFP provided a 10-day food ration to more than 1,900 displaced
people
living in shelters in the capital, Tbilisi; more distributions are
taking
place today. WFP has been drawing on food aid stocks from
existing
programmes in Georgia.



"The number of people in need of our help is rising by the hour," said
WFP
Georgia Country Director Lola Castro, adding that so far, 2,750
displaced
people had been registered in Tbilisi alone. She said many more people
were
living with relatives or in unofficial shelters.



Today's distributions are mainly targeted at people outside the
capital.
However, access to them is restricted by continuing Russian air
raids,
making it extremely dangerous for WFP staff trying to reach them.



Many of the displaced have no access to cooking facilities therefore
WFP
will provide High Energy Biscuits, which require no preparation, over
the
coming days.




WFP will also offer its logistical support to other humanitarian
organisations, using capacity from its existing food assistance operation
in the country which was targeted at 212,000 people -- mainly poor rural
communities -- as well as primary schoolchildren, tuberculosis patients
and people living with HIV/AIDS.




Tens of thousands of people have fled South Ossetia over the past
four
days. Many of them have been displaced in other parts of Georgia.
The
Russian Government says about 30,000 people have crossed the border
into
neighbouring North Ossetia, inside the Russian Federation where
the
government says it will take care of the humanitarian needs.



On Sunday, WFP carried out a joint assessment with the UN refugee
agency
(UNHCR) in Gori, which has also been affected by the conflict, and
found
the town - with a population of about 40,000 - to be almost deserted.




WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency and the UN's frontline
agency for hunger solutions. This year, WFP plans to feed around 90
million
people in 80 countries.


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