Media centre

Severe flooding in April and May has had a serious impact on the lives of thousands of people throughout Georgia. The floods have damaged basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges and water supply systems in the affected regions. The regions of Racha-Lechkhumi & Kvemo-Sveneti and Upper Svaneti have suffered the heaviest damage, with houses partially or completely washed away.

Overall, close to 3,000 families with some 1,800 children have been forced to evacuate their houses due to flood water and mud slides. While most people have found shelter with relatives and neighbours, many still remain in desperate need of first aid supplies, basic medicines, safe water and hygiene items.

The UNICEF aid includes 85 Emergency Health Kits for primary health care centres in Racha-Lechkhumi, Svaneti, Ajara, Imereti, Mtskheta-Mtianeti and Shida Kartli Regions. Each Kit contains enough basic drugs, medical supplies and equipment for a population of 1,000 persons for three months.

More than 2,600 people living in the affected regions have received Adult Hygiene Kits containing basic hygiene items for two adults. In addition, every affected family has received two kits.

School-in-a-box Kits have been delivered to 166 schools in the flood regions to facilitate the start of the new schooling year.  Each school kit serves 80 students and, in addition to basic school supplies such as exercise books, pencils, erasers and scissors, includes a wooden teaching clock, plastic cubes for counting and a set of three laminated posters showing the alphabet, numbers and multiplication tables.