Georgia: Floods OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Ref: OCHA/GVA - 2005/0074
OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Georgia - Floods
Situation
1. Due to the almost week-long torrential rains, most of the western Georgia regions and some parts of eastern and southern Georgia suffer from severe flooding. Roads, bridges, houses and other buildings have been covered by heavy water in Lentekhi, Mestia, Oni, Ambrolauri, Tsageri (Racha-Lechkhumi-Kvemo Svaneti) and Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskaltubo districts (Imereti). As reported in media, about 500 families ask for immediate evacuation. The situation has been further complicated by the fact that clearing operations were hard to carry out due to freak weather and damaged roads. There is still no access to some villages located in Svaneti regions where the local population, left without water, electricity and roads is awaiting external assistance. In Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions, rivers Rioni, Krikhula and Lekhumi flooded land plots, houses and a 300-meter long bank-protecting constructions. Several roads, bridges and water pumps have been washed away and need urgent repair. Over 30 families have been evacuated from Ambrolauri district, Racha. 61 houses are completely destroyed and 173 families have been evacuated in Tsageri, Oni, Lentekhi and Tskhaltubo districts.
2. The river has destroyed roads in Lentekhi, Svaneti and has stranded residents of over 40 villages. In Laghani village of the Mestia district of Zemo Svaneti region a landslide has been reported. It is noteworthy that many other locations in the region are under threat of landslides.
3. 50 houses have been flooded in Kutaisi and Tskhaltubo cities in Imereti where the Rioni River has come out of the banks.
4. There was threat of flooding in Tbilisi as well, as the River Mtkvari level was raised the evening of 26 April, as a result around 10 houses were flooded in the Kvemo Ponichala settlement where Rescuers of Emergency Situations and Civil Safety Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs rescued 8 persons.
5. According to preliminary assessment, the priority problem is roads/bridges infrastructure in addition to houses, poultry and cattle that were washed away by water.
6. Floods also struck parts of central/eastern Georgia. The villages of Dzevera and Uplistsikhe in the Gori district of the Shida Kartli region suffered after the Mtkvari and Liakhvi rivers burst their banks on April 26.
7. It has been reported that several districts of South Ossetia were hit by flooding as well, particularly Java and Kvaisa districts that are completely isolated.
8. In Mtskheta-Mtianeti region roads are washed away, one bridge is damaged on river Aragvi, nearby territory is flooded. Two houses are destroyed in Kazbegi district.
9. Weather conditions improved in most of the regions of western Georgia, but landslides hit the mountainous region of Khulo in Adjara Autonomous Republic on the night of 27-28 April, cutting off access to several villages there. There is still a threat of so-called "secondary effects" of heavy rains and snow melting - landslides, especially in mountainous regions of Georgia that are normally prone to such disasters.
10. No casualties have been reported.
National Response
11. In the morning of 27 April a special Governmental Session was called to discuss and define the Government action plan in response to the disaster and to estimate the damage. As per a Presidential Instruction, military equipment and road transports were mobilized for immediate assistance. Due to lack of access to certain areas it is very difficult to calculate real figures of the damage. Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli said that the government could allocate 20 million GEL for flood relief activities. It is expected that much more financial resources will be needed to eliminate the damage caused. The Prime Minister mentioned priority actions such as urgent assistance to the homeless and pledged to purchase new houses for the affected.
12. Two battalions of reservists were immediately mobilized in Kutaisi, part of which managed to reach some affected villages by foot, and provided immediate assistance to the local population. Local municipalities managed to bear the primary responsibility for urgent assistance, including accommodation and food aid.
13. Emergency Situations and Civil Safety Service (ESCSS) has been activated and has sent its representatives to Racha-Lechkhumi, Imereti and Shida Kartli. ESCSS has been working closely with local administrations.
14. A Special Crisis Group has been set up under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for provision of updated information regarding the disaster to international organizations and foreign media representatives. The Deputy Minister George Gomiashvili leads the crisis group. A round-the-clock hot-line has been set at: (995 32) 28 47 47. Late on 28 April the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a Circular Note for international community with the request of assistance in providing technical equipment, such as heavy machinery, potable water tanks, water filters and pumps, and emergency items.
15. The President of Georgia has offered assistance to the breakaway south Ossetian authorities and local population. No response has been given by the authorities in this region as yet.
International Response
16. The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator under the framework of the international Disaster Management Team (DMT) - comprising all UN relief agencies present in Georgia, several interested donors, ICRC, IFRC, and international NGOs - is in constant contact with the Government of Georgia at the central level. The DMT is convening on regular basis and updated information is being shared. The DMT member agencies have also reviewed their in-country available stocks of relief items. Discussions about possible responses are ongoing as well as planning for rapid needs assessment. However, at the regional level, the World Food Programme office in Kutaisi is maintaining contact with the Regional Governors of Imereti and Kvemo Svaneti - both these areas are amongst the worst affected and closely monitoring the situation.
17. A number of spot assessments have been conducted by UN agencies and NGOs working in areas affected by the emergency, including in Imereti, Racha-Lechkumi and Kvemo Svaneti. Further assessments will take place in conjunction with local authorities over the coming days focusing on a selected number of areas thought to be worst affected, specifically in Lentekhi, Tsageri, Tskaltubo and Upper Svaneti. This will also include the deployment of an IFRC FACT needs assessment team. Detailed planning of these assessments in presently ongoing. The DMT and the IFRC FACT Team will work closely to coordinate the needs assessments and response actions. Meanwhile, on 30 April, the DMT pre-assessment mission, led by WFP Sub-Office in Kutaisi and comprising of World Vision and UMCOR staff will take place in Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi, most probably in Adjara. This mission will look at the overall situation with a focus on food security, health needs and infrastructure.
18. The UN Country Team in Georgia, donor agencies as well as many international NGOs stand ready to provide assistance to the affected population and assist Georgia to alleviate the effects of the landslides and floods. A number of international donor agencies - including the US, German, French Embassies in Tbilisi - have already announced pledges of assistance.
19. This Situation Report and information on ongoing emergencies is also available on the OCHA Internet Website at http://www.reliefweb.int.
Tel. +41-22-917 1234
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org
In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10
Desk Officers:
Ms. Charlotta Benedek
E-mail: benedek@un.org
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1205
Mr. Ricardo Mena
Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1455
E-mail: menar@un.org
Press contact:
(GVA) Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
(N.Y.) Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917-892 1669
map of republic of Georgia
A shipment of humanitarian aid from the Italian government was delivered to Tbilisi, the capital of flood ravaged Georgia on Tuesday. Norway and the United States sent tents, clothes, food and generators for electricity. German and Latvian aid is expected soon.  
 
In the eastern region of Kakheti, several villages of the Lagodekhi district were flooded after the Kabali river burst its bank Tuesday night. No casualties were reported.
 
Torrential rains lasting nearly a week combined with snow-melt to create in the worst floods in 20 years in the Caucasus republic. A third of the country is effected, mostly in the western portion, with damage reported to buildings, homes and many roads. Over 1000 people were forced to evacuate.  
 
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli called for an assessment of the flood and mudslide damages. Amendments to the 2005 budget are foreseen in the range of 20 million Lari to cover disaster relief efforts.