MSF teams are assisting displaced people who have recently made their way to Gori, victims of the war between Russia and Georgia.
Filipe Ribeiro, coordinator of the emergency programme in Georgia, answers some questions about the situation on the ground.
Why is MSF working in Gori?
We have accompanied the return of displaced people - a lot of people arrived in Gori after the departure of the Russian troops. Among them are those who fled the combat in south Ossetia, the residents of the villages that are occupied by Russian troops and south Ossetians, as well as the residents of the town of Gori. A significant number of these people had taken refuge in Tbilisi which is 90 km away, but the Georgian authorities decided to place them in Gori instead. Those who live along the south Ossetian border hope to return to their homes shortly. In the meantime we’re helping them, just as we’re helping all of the displaced people in Gori.
What exactly is MSF doing in Gori?
The conflict between Russia and Georgia came to a head on the night of August 7 (leading into August 8). Since August 14, we started bringing medical care to displaced people in Tbilisi and we have done the same in Gori since the first of September. We’re providing primary medical care, mostly for chronic conditions, in addition to psychological care. Three mobile clinic teams are doing the rounds of the communal living areas, which are mostly set up in schools, to give medical consultations on site and to refer patients to the general hospital. We have a team in this hospital that takes care of the displaced families who have set up camp under tents in Alkhalibakhi. We also provide essential hygiene products and have a hand in helping the 033 emergency services with donations of medicines for the treatment of chronic conditions.
Finally, once the people leave Gori to return to the villages on the road towards Tskhinvali (south Ossetia), our teams will be there to accompany their return.
Is the humanitarian situation in Georgia critical?
We will have to stay to sustain the displaced populations for several months because the situation is complicated and the outlook is bleak for the populations that have left south Ossetia and have little hope of returning home.
The health services that were in disarray during the period of conflict have been quickly put back in place. They concentrate on emergencies and the wounded that are stabilised and evacuated to Tbilisi. The service is almost back to normal now- their referral system is functioning and they have very efficient ambulances.
Overall the situation is not critical but the question in our minds is what kind of guarantee the displaced population will have of access to healthcare. Initially, these groups of people benefitted from free health care, but if they have to reintegrate to the private health system they’ll have difficulties.