PM Says Humanitarian Situation in Occupied Regions is Catastrophic
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, September 10
Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze has assessed the recent situation in the occupied regions of Georgia, Abkhazia, and Tskhinvali, as a “humanitarian disaster.”
The Prime Minister made the statement at the conference organized by the Progressive Alliance [a global network of social-democratic parties and organizations] in Tbilisi on Friday.
He stated that 120, 000 people lived in Tskhinvali region before the August 2008 war, while the number is decreased to 20, 000 currently.
As for Abkhazia, the number of the population has been decreased from 500, 000 to 120, 000, Bakhtadze said.
“We have very painful challenges. 20 percent of Georgian territories are still occupied by Russia. There is nothing, but the humanitarian catastrophe on these territories.
“Our answer to this most painful challenge is peace and development, the building of democratic institutions and creating a country where all people will be able to realize their talents and possibilities in our common homeland. But naturally, we need our friends on this path, and we know that you are standing firm by Georgian democracy, "Bakhtadze said.
The War in Abkhazia from 1992 to 1993 was fought between Georgian government forces for the most part, and Abkhaz separatist forces, Russian armed forces and North Caucasian militants. The separatists received support from thousands of North Caucasus and Cossack militants and the Russian troops stationed in and near Abkhazia.
Between 13,000 to 20,000 ethnic Georgians and approximately 3,000 Abkhaz have been reported killed, more than 250,000 Georgians became internally displaced, or refugees and about 2,000 are considered missing.
Among the missing are about 1,500 are ethnic Georgians, up to 200 are ethnic Abkhazians and about 100 are ethnic Ossetians.
101 bodies have been identified and transported to Georgia over the course of last years.
The Russia-Georgian 2008 War was a war between Georgia, Russia and the Russian-backed self-proclaimed republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
The war displaced 192,000 people and while many returned to their homes after the war, 20,272 people, mostly ethnic Georgians, remained displaced.
35 Georgians and 6 Ossetians remain missing since the war.
