AUDIO REPORTClick to listen to a report from one of staff members now in Georgia

Tens of thousands of people in the small, eastern European nation of Georgia are suffering from fierce fighting between their country’s armed forces and those of neighboring Russia.

The two countries have been at war for more than one week over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The Red Cross reported that one-half of South Ossetia’s population has fled the region, and eyewitnesses have said the area has been left in ruins. A reported 128,700 displaced people have fled to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Samaritan's Purse has responded by sending staff to Tbilisi. We are working through local Christians to provide emergency relief to refugees, including food for 5,132 people each day as well as 3,909 sleeping bags and nearly 400 blankets. The distributions are being done by our church partners.

We have been working in Georgia for more than a decade. Since 1997, Operation Christmas Child has distributed nearly 700,000 shoe box gifts throughout the country, including the hard-hit areas of South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Gori. Through our evangelistic literature and discipleship program, we have seen many children and family members make life-changing commitments to the Lord Jesus Christ. This year, we are planning to send more than 100,000 gift boxes to children in Georgia.

Our Christian partners have reported that the relationships they have established with hospitals, schools, and children’s homes through Operation Christmas Child have been critical as they assess the needs of those in the most-affected areas. Because of limited telephone access, national leadership team members are traveling to war-torn regions to determine the best way to help those who are suffering, especially the children.

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Samaritan's Purse , Georgia , Emergency Relief , Conflict in Georgia