Silver Spring, Maryland--As winter looms in the Caucasus region in Eurasia, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) continues to assist internally displaced Georgians affected by the South Ossetia conflict in August, which killed an estimated 1,500 people and forced 192,000 from their homes, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

To meet the needs of at least 2,400 internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in temporary shelters in the capital Tbilisi, ADRA Georgia will be providing winter-appropriate kits equipped with durable and essential items, such as mattresses, heating stoves and fuel, bed linens, heavy-duty wool blankets, fire extinguishers, and cooking and eating utensils. The three-month project, valued at $388,000, began October 1, and is funded by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

ADRA Georgia is coordinating with United Nations agencies, other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Georgian Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation in order to deliver the assistance to IDPs as they prepare to face the upcoming winter months.

"One of our greatest groups of concern is women, children and the elderly," said Raymond Chevalier, assistant director for Emergency Management at ADRA International. "They are at the greatest risk of illness due to the cold rooms and floors of the collective centers where they are currently living. Unfortunately, there are not enough cooking facilities for all of the families to cook. It is essential that they are able to eat warm meals and drink boiled water, in order to reduce the risk of illness while they are living in these centers."

Within five days of the outbreak of fighting, ADRA Georgia began distributing food, hygiene items, kitchen and laundry sets to more than 3,000 internally displaced persons in affected areas in Georgia. Currently, ADRA continues to provide emergency non-food items in Tbilisi, with plans to make future assessments in the region surrounding the town of Gori.

During the clashes between Russian and Georgian armed forces, an estimated 192,000 people were forced to flee their homes, primarily in and around South Ossetia, overflowing IDP camps, temporary shelters, and private homes in the cities of Tbilisi and Gori.

UNHCR expects that at least 22,000 people will continue to be displaced during the upcoming winter, and possibly longer. The majority of IDPs are from farming villages in South Ossetia from where many escaped with only the most basic necessities. As a result, thousands are unprepared to face the bitter Georgian winter, which can often cause temperatures to drop to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius).

To make a contribution to ADRA's Emergency Response Fund, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give online at www.adra.org.

ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.

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Author: Nadia McGill

Media Contact: John Torres, Senior Public Relations Manager, ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org