15/12/2006
EU Aid targets forgotten victims of the Abkhazia conflict in Georgia

The European Commission has approved a €2 million humanitarian aid decision to support the most vulnerable people affected by the unresolved conflict between Abkhazia and Georgia. The beneficiaries include internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Georgia as well as returnees and vulnerable groups in Abkhazia. Funds are being allocated via the Directorate-General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO), a service of the European Commission under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.

Western Georgia, in particular Abkhazia, continues to be plagued by forgotten humanitarian needs. The conflict which erupted in 1992 in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia led to the displacement of over 250,000 people. A UN-brokered agreement was signed by the Georgian and Abkhaz parties in 1994 which put an end to the fighting, but few displaced people have returned to their homes in Abkhazia.

This new decision will focus on the most vulnerable IDPs and returnees in Western Georgia and especially Abkhazia. Food will be distributed to some 2,000 destitute persons in Abkhazia, while food security projects will target 1,500 vulnerable households by giving them the means to start food generating and/or income generating activities. Additionally, emergency returnee shelters will be repaired and living conditions of IDPs in Western Georgia will be improved through the repair of roofs.

Projects will be implemented by the Commission's operational partners such as the International Committee of the Red Cross and international non-governmental organisations.

Since 2002, the European Commission has allocated a total of €11 million in humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations affected by the unresolved conflict in Georgia.