ACF to Improve Poor Conditions in Georgian Relief Shelters

Thousands of displaced persons need food, water, and hygiene materials Madrid, Spain — With an estimated 20,000 people still displaced in the aftermath of the recent Georgian conflict, the humanitarian aid organization Action Against Hunger / Action Contre la Faim (ACF) has initiated an emergency intervention in Tbilisi. In addition to poor hygienic conditions in shelters, food is scarce and expensive. "In Tbilisi, the price of staple foods such as flour and sugar continues to rise," says Vincent Stehli, desk officer for Action Against Hunger in Caucasus.

The organization aims to distribute hygiene kits and food to 1,500 families housed in 27 centers in Tbilisi. In Kutaisi and other cities in the west of the country, where assistance is most scarce, ACF will also distribute hygiene kits to roughly 1,000 displaced families and rehabilitate sanitation for many of the shelters over the next six months.

Action Against Hunger has worked in the region of South Caucasus (Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan) since 1995, undertaking water and sanitation projects and working to improve food security. Its team of 78 staff members (eight international and 70 national staff) working in Georgia were reinforced by personnel from ACF’s emergency pool, which traveled from Madrid to Kutaisi last week to support and assess the needs of the population. Emergency efforts are made possible by the financing of Obra Social Caja Madrid and the Catalan Cooperació al Desenvolupament (ACCD).

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger / Action Contre la Faim (ACF), an international relief and development organization committed to saving the lives of malnourished children and families, provides sustainable access to safe water and long-term solutions to hunger. For nearly three decades, ACF has pursued its vision of a world without hunger by combating hunger in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity.

Press Contact

Action Against Hunger - USA

James L. Phelan
Senior External Relations Officer, ACF-USA
Contact James Phelan
Direct: 212-967-7800 x108
Cell: 646-265-7796

Action Against Hunger - Spain

Alejandra Mahiques Nuñez
Prensa y Comunicación Institucional, ACF-Spain
amahiques@achesp.org
Direct: +34 91 391 53 06