New study shows 80 per cent of families live on less than US$3 per day
   
TBILISI, Georgia (Aug. 7, 2009)—Twelve months after the end of the Georgian Crisis, some 26,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are yet to return home. The majority are now facing an uncertain future, living in government-built settlements, in rehabilitated buildings or with host families.

Over 160,000 people fled the area to seek safe shelter and help as the conflict between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia escalated.

“At the beginning of the conflict World Vision provided the basic, most immediate needs to the tens of thousands of people who flooded into Tbilisi. But now, 12 months later, their needs are more complicated and we are dealing with issues of livelihood and skill development; they need help in rebuilding their lives,” said Vano Grigolashvili, World Vision’s humanitarian and emergency affairs director in Georgia.

According to a pilot study recently undertaken by World Vision in Georgia, less than six per cent of the IDPs have work and nearly 80 per cent of the IDP families are living on less than US$3 per day, well below the subsistence minimum set for an average family. This dollar amount includes the monetary value of the food and non-food assistance these people receive from the international community.

Over the last two months World Vision has been able to identify some of the people’s future needs. Some communities are raising concerns with the potable water supply system; many lack hygiene items and want a change in the standard food items they have been receiving for a year; they also do not feel empowered to take control of their lives, especially in relation to authorities. These are all issues that World Vision is seeking solutions for as it continues to work hand-in-hand with the communities.

Over the last year, World Vision has carried out several projects to meet the various needs of thousands of displaced people, including distributing 845 metric tons of food to more than 150,000 beneficiaries. The organization also established seven child-friendly spaces that assisted 200 children, rehabilitated nine schools and a kindergarten in conflict-affected villages.

World Vision, which has been working in Georgia since 1994, has also been providing agricultural training, seeds for crops and fertilizer to help the mostly agrarian society re-energize their livelihood. When people were able to return to their homes they primarily focused on rebuilding their homes and preparing for winter, thus they could not do the usually preparatory groundwork for the planting season. As a result, these families, who are mostly subsistence farmers, did not have enough food for themselves, much less enough food to sell and sustain their families.

“For some families the only income they had was the money they made from selling the dairy products they made, but some families had to kill their own dairy cows and sell the meat since they could not sustain themselves [after they returned home]” said 65-year-old Olia from the village of Khidistavi.

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

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To interview World Vision staff, please contact:

Yoko Kobayashi
905-565-6200 ext. 2151
416-671-0086 (cell)
yoko_kobayashi@WorldVision.ca

Alex Sancton
905-565-6200 ext. 3949
416-419-1321 (cell)
alex_sancton@WorldVision.ca