The International Rescue Committee's Emergency Response Team is on the ground in Georgia and has begun distributing health and hygiene supplies to thousands of people seeking shelter in largely overcrowded and unsanitary buildings in and around Tbilisi.

Gillian Dunn, head of IRC's emergency programmes, says most of the shelters the team has visited are in terrible condition.

"People have found refuge in schools and abandoned or empty buildings. Many lack clean water, electricity, functioning toilets and places to bathe," she says, adding that some facilities are especially overstretched as they were already sheltering displaced people from regional conflicts dating back to the 1990s.

Dunn says displaced families are also suffering from emotional distress.

"Many people are worried about missing, separated or stranded relatives," she said. "And they wonder what their future will hold, especially those who fled bombed and burned villages between Tskhinvali and Gori. They have no homes to return to."

Dunn says it's unclear what will happen to thousands of displaced families who settled in schools, as they will likely need to vacate when the new term begins in September. She also expressed concern about how families will cope as winter approaches.

"As the weather turns cold, we could start seeing the spread of upper respiratory disease if children, the elderly and the sick, in particular, are still sleeping on concrete floors without mattresses in summer clothing," she says. "They need to be protected from the cold and damp."

The IRC will continue distributing essential relief items and is preparing to start repairs to water systems and sanitation facilities. The IRC will also work with local partners to respond to the emergency needs of children and provide cash assistance to help vulnerable families address immediate needs.

The IRC has been active in the Caucasus, including North Ossetia, since 1994 and maintains a staff of 85 aid workers in the region.

CONTACT: Melissa Winkler (New York) +1 646-734-0305, melissa.winkler@theIRC.org Lydia Gomersall (London) +44 20 7692 2741, lydia.gomersall@IRCuk.org

Visit www.theIRC.org/georgiacrisis for additional information and www.theIRC.org/georgiarelief for donation details.