Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia 14 Aug 2008 - The International Rescue Committee has joined forces with a Russian aid group to help children fleeing from the war in South Ossetia receive psychological support.
In the aftermath of fighting between Russia and Georgia in Georgia’s embattled breakaway region of South Ossetia, thousands of people have fled to neighboring Russia’s North Ossetia region, where they require immediate assistance.
“Many of the refugees are children who have witnessed bombing and fighting and therefore need qualified psychological assistance,” says the IRC’s Caucasus director, Thomas Hill.
In response, the IRC has partnered up with a local organization, the North Ossetian Children’s Fund, to help 160 children of school age living in the only orphanage in Tskhinvali, the war-ravaged capital of South Ossetia. Earlier this week, through an IRC grant, 10 children were taken to the Lipki-Beshki rehabilitation center near Moscow, where they will be treated. The remaining 150 will soon follow. The IRC grant covers the children’s food, clothes, shoes, hygiene items and transportation to the Russian capital.
The United Nations estimates that nearly 120,000 people have been displaced by the fighting, both from South Ossetia and Georgia proper. Most are seeking safety in schools and other public buildings in North Ossetia. Last week, the IRC’s team in the North Ossetian capital Vladikavkaz distributed bedding, soap, shampoo, cleaning supplies and kitchenware at two schools sheltering 120 children, mothers and teachers who were evacuated from South Ossetia as tensions mounted between Russia and Georgia.
Meanwhile, a team of IRC emergency experts is on the ground in Georgia proper, where they are launching relief programs. The team this week distributed hygiene kits to nearly 2,300 displaced near the Georgian capital Tbilisi and will soon bring aid to other acutely affected areas in the country.
How You Can Help
Donate now to help the IRC assist victims of the crisis in the Georgia region.
Media Contact: Melissa Winker, Melissa.Winkler@theIRC.org or +1 646-734-0305
