GEORGIA: Displaced Georgians take refuge in capital Tbilisi

Record ID: 345281

  • Title: GEORGIA: Displaced Georgians take refuge in capital Tbilisi
  • Date: 14th August 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Georgian) EDGARI SABASHVILI, DISPLACED MAN, WHO FLED FROM GORI, SAYING: "I have lost all hope and I am afraid that even if I return there, there will not be any security for me anymore. What they have in their mind, no one knows. I don't want to run away from them again." PERSON SLEEPING IN BED IN TENT / PEOPLE IN TENT
  • Embargoed: 29th August 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Georgia
  • Country: Georgia
  • Topics: War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVA286MC45YS6XE4WKDD6V038V2J
  • Story Text: Georgia's capital Tbilisi has become a temporary home for internally displaced persons from the north of the country, including Gori.
    Internally displaced people continued to take refuge in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, on Monday (August 18) after fleeing last week's fighting in the north.
    Thousands of ethnic Georgians have already registered their names at the city's Civil registry over the past few days, making them eligible to stay with friends and relatives and to receive humanitarian aid and government assistance.
    But for those without relatives in the capital, a special camp has been set up in the east of the city.
    The camp site currently has eight large tents, each housing 35 people.
    The 280 people in the camp are made up of residents who fled from Gori and surrounding areas.
    Gori, about 30 km (20 miles) from the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali, bore the brunt of Russia's military presence in Georgia and many of its residents now say they are too afraid to return, despite an expected withdrawal by Russia later on Monday.

    "My parents are still in a village, 80 kilometres from Gori. I don't even know if they are still alive...I have no idea what happened to my house," said one man, Edgari Sabashvili, who left his home in Gori.

    "I have lost all hope and I am afraid that even if I return there, there will not be any security for me anymore. What they have in their mind, no one knows. I don't want to run away from them again," he added.
    Zhuzhuna, also from Gori, said that she doubts the Russians will leave.

    "If they reach an agreement and they withdraw then people will freely return, even to their destroyed homes, but I think they will not reach an agreement," she said.
    The 10-day confrontation around South Ossetia has killed about 200 Georgians, dealt a blow to the Georgian military, damaged the country's economy, disrupted road and rail links and drew Western criticism of President Mikheil Saakashvili's handling of the crisis.
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