TBILISI – As winter is fast approaching, World Vision Georgia plans to repair and winterize homes for displaced persons living in the Gori district, the area directly south of the conflict zone of South Ossetia.

As World Vision staffs its new office in Gori, it is becoming a major presence in the relief efforts of the area.

The repair/winterization project will last three months. In addition, at a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) meeting this week, it was decided that World Vision will provide cooking facilities for 26 collective centres in the Gori area as well.

The Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC) programme finalized its assessment last week for Child Friendly Spaces (CFS) determining a strong and necessary need for these areas. Therefore, CEDC programme staff plan to open five such spaces in the Tbilisi, the Georgia capital, and four in the Gori area.

Another major component of World Vision's relief efforts in Georgia is the need for help desks in collection centers to provide displaced persons with basic medical and psycho-social support. After a needs assessment of centres and the training of psychologists, Public Health/HIV and AIDS (PHHA) programme staff opened 20 such help desks in Tbilisi.

According to new estimates provided by UNHCR, a total of 163,000 have been forced from their homes due to the conflict that began in August. Of that number, 127,000 are displaced in Georgia, with the rest being displaced in the Russian Federation. Many of those in the Russian Federation, the organization states, have returned to their homes, and 68,000 of those displaced in Georgia have done the same. UNHCR and the Georgian government estimate that another 5,000 will be able to return home before the onset of winter, leaving 54,000 people displaced and homeless, needing shelter and aid through the upcoming harsh season.

In light of these facts, in addition to World Vision's new projects, the organization continues its previous relief efforts.

World Vision continues to distribute food and non-food items (NFIs) to displaced persons. To date, the organization has distributed 53 tons of World Food Programme (WFP) food to 24,875 beneficiaries at 227 collective centres in the first phase of distribution. In the second phase, World Vision delivered 73.5 tons of WFP food to 23,700 beneficiaries at 216 collection centres.

Before the organization began delivering food for WFP, its staff also distributed 50 tons of World Vision-procured food to 11,215 beneficiaries in over 50 collection centres and areas in around Tbilisi. It has also delivered NFIs to 17,696 displaced persons in over 50 collection centres.

The Infant House Transformation centre in Tbilisi continues to help IDP mothers with infants. The team is currently caring for 10 IDP mothers and 15 children, and at one time helped as many as 14 mothers and 17 children.

At the same time, World Vision Georgia has begun working on pre-crisis programs and projects, in addition to providing relief to those displaced by the conflict.

'While one cannot overestimate the impact the war has had on Georgia as a nation and World Vision's programming, we recognize that we're here for the long haul, and thus, it's important we reengage with the same communities we've been working with for years. We're focusing on our development programs in tandem with a large scale emergency response, and many staff are juggling both simultaneously. I continue to be amazed at everyone's dedication and hard work. 'Said David Womble, WVG National Director.