The European Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO), has allocated (22/08/2008) €5 million in humanitarian aid for vulnerable people affected by the conflict between Georgia and the Russian Federation. The new aid package comes on top of the €1 million fast-track humanitarian aid released by the Commission on 10 August, shortly after the conflict started[1]. ECHO experts remain in the region, evaluating needs, coordinating activities with relief partner organisations and monitoring the use of Commission funds.

The Commission's additional funding covers food aid, shelter, emergency water and sanitation facilities, non-food items like hygiene kits, clothes, blankets, water containers, cooking and kitchen utensils, health care, logistics and protection, notably for women and children. Mine clearance as well as mine awareness training and mine risk education activities, with a special emphasis on children, is also covered.

The beneficiaries will be the conflict-affected populations from Georgia: internally displaced people from the region of South Ossetia, the town of Gori and surrounding areas; the inhabitants of the town of Tskhinvali; people from the western part of Georgia fleeing the fighting in Abkhazia plus the returnees; refugees who fled from South Ossetia to the Russian Federation and those who have already returned to South Ossetia.