American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) Aids Victims of Ongoing Russia-Georgia Conflict
VIEW IMAGES: JDC EFFORTS ON THE GROUND IN GEORGIA
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September 19, 2008:
From the Field – Georgian Residents: Struggling to Find Work and Rebuild
Tuvia and her family of 24 people left Gori for Tbilisi the day after the Georgia-Russia conflict erupted on August 7. For over two weeks, they stayed with distant relatives living in the capital—30 people living in one tiny apartment. Most of the guests, including 71-year-old Tuvia, slept on the floor.
The family has since returned to Gori, but today they face a much bleaker reality than before. Tuvia’s husband, who has diabetes and is in poor health, has a pension which barely covers the costs of his monthly medications. The bank loan that a few months ago was a lifeline for the family is now a mounting burden as Tuvia’s sons—the family’s main wage earners—remain out of work and the debt increases.
When Tuvia’s family returned to their home, they were among the fortunate ones: their homes were not looted. But they have been robbed of their livelihoods and lifestyle. The family has been surviving on relief provided during the war by JDC and on the small funds they earn by selling their furniture for food. Because of the poor relations between the countries, Tuvia’s son who had been working in Moscow, and who was in Georgia on holiday when the war broke out, has been unable to return to his job in Russia; her other son lost his job during the war. Neither man has been able to find new work in Georgia.
To help cope with their new situation, Tuvia’s family receives monthly assistance through JDC’s Food Card, a debit-like card which enables vulnerable elderly and their families to purchase much-needed foods from the local supermarket. Since the war erupted, the program has been expanding to purchase additional items such as hygienic products and basic needs. As the seasons change, the family will also receive winter relief packages.
Tuvia’s family registered as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with all the relevant authorities when the war broke out. But the distribution of rations lagged behind. Assistance from JDC through the local Hesed welfare center was the only source of aid to Tuvia’s family. "Without them, I am sure we would have died!" she said.
As the family struggles to readjust at home, they are particularly worried about how they will fare in the upcoming harsh winter. Energy prices are set to rise and Tuvia knows from previous experience that her pension may only cover the electricity bill for winter. Missing even one day’s payment means their power will be cut off, no questions asked. And that is something this struggling family certainly cannot afford to endure during Georgia’s bitter cold winter.
JDC will continue to provide the victims of this war with basic needs and help families like Tuvia’s get back on track.
September 16, 2008:
From the Field – A Family Displaced in Their Own Home Town
When a nearby explosion blew out the windows of the home of 63-year-old Mari, an English teacher, she instinctually tended to her blind, elderly parents for whom she is the primary caretaker. Moments later, when she discovered that the impact on her windows resulted from the bombing of an apartment building across the street, Mari immediately thought: "My sister, Sima!"
Sima, along with her husband and teenage daughter, had become trapped in her apartment blazing seconds after her building was hit. Using a metal bar from a clothing wardrobe to break open the main door, Sima, a nurse, extricated her family from the burning building. Her husband was badly wounded in the fire and suffered lung and kidney damage.
Terrified, Mari, Sima, and the entire family fled by car to Tbilisi, where Sima’s husband underwent surgery. JDC supported the newly displaced family with what the family calls "vital help"—food and medicine packages as well as cash assistance to purchase basic necessities.
Weeks after the first attacks on their building, Sima and her family have returned to Gori, but they continue to be displaced. Their home is nothing but a burnt-out shell and Sima’s husband can no longer work. As the family tries to move beyond the trauma that has interrupted their lives, they all cram into Mari’s small apartment, facing harsh conditions, and where the intermittent wailing of a frail and ailing mother is a chilling reality check.
View pictures of Sima and her family members in Gori included in JDC's Georgia-Russia photo slideshow.
August 22, 2008:
From the Field – JDC Staff Reports from Georgia "Whoever Saves One Life . . ."
Today JDC staff traveled 70km from Tbilisi, through the Russian army lines, to Gori as part of a small Georgian Red Cross convoy. The mission was to deliver humanitarian supplies for the 27 Jews remaining there and to evacuate a gravely ill elderly woman. Special permission for the journey had been secured through diplomatic channels.
JDC staff crossed a number of Russian army checkpoints and the aftermath of battles was evident - bombed out buildings, vehicles, tanks. The streets were nearly empty as people fear the Ossetia militiamen who roam the city.
JDC staff met up with International Red Cross officials and quickly unloaded the humanitarian supplies, most importantly medicines that are direly needed in Gori. JDC and Hesed staff had worked throughout the night to secure and pack the supplies.
An old woman, very fragile and deathly ill, was taken from the Gori hospital; as JDC staff gently transferred her – on her hospital bed mattress – into one of our two JDC vans, which was quickly converted into a makeshift ambulance.
The goal was to return as quickly as possible through the Russian checkpoints to a hospital for the elderly in Tbilisi, where the woman could receive intensive and specialized medical care. Medical personnel accompanied JDC staff, led by two Jewish physicians.
As the JDC staff sat afterwards quietly over coffee they reported that they were reminded that, when they enter the JDC-Israel office lobby, they see the quote from the Midrash Raba that serves as their daily compass:
"Whoever saves one life saves the entire world."
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August 20, 2008:
JDC’s Rescue Team: Unwavering Commitment; An Innovative Response
When the Russia-Georgia conflict erupted on August 7, JDC’s expertise and long history in rescuing Jews in times of crisis enabled us to mobilize our resources and respond immediately. Dispatching additional staff to supplement our local team already in the region, JDC was there the next day; we were one of the first agencies on the ground, and in some areas, the only agency present. Eight JDC staff people are currently on the ground in Georgia, Vladikavkaz, and Rostov coordinating and executing relief operations with local Hesedim and community partners. These dedicated staff members continue to seek out and assist Jewish refugees who may have escaped from Georgia and South Ossetia on their own.
To help ensure the well-being of the nearly 3,000 Georgians currently served by JDC, our staff moved quickly to provide victims with humanitarian aid packages, helping them find shelter and immediately moving them to safer regions. Today, JDC estimates that 300 Jews served by JDC on a regular basis have fled their homes and are now refugees in Tbilisi. In regions that are closed or difficult to enter, JDC has enhanced the use of its "Smart Card"—a program which enables needy local people to buy food in their local supermarkets using a food card. And, where Jews have already fled, JDC has been helping absorb locals, developing networks of volunteers to distribute and help the often-traumatized victims of this war.
Nearly two weeks have passed since the conflict erupted, killing and injuring many innocent victims and displacing, according to the USAID, nearly 160,000 people. Chaos and crimes unfortunately typical of a war-torn region have ensued.
Still, JDC’s unwavering commitment to identifying survivors, providing the life-saving assistance and laying the groundwork for long-term aid for the victims remains paramount.
JDC: Searching Tirelessly – A Rescue in Gori
Hundreds of families and individuals have already fled the city of Gori, one of the hardest areas hit in Georgia. But many survivors who decided to stay, or who couldn’t leave despite the constant attacks knew JDC was on its way.
JDC’s rescue workers, who have been risking their lives daily to help those in need in towns like Gori, will not give up their efforts to locate every last Jew, to provide immediate relief—such as food, water, and medicines—to the community’s remaining Jews and help them evacuate, if they so choose.
While the deafening explosions erupted, only silence was heard when the JDC rescue team, searching tirelessly for Georgian Jews trapped in the war-town region, knocked on a door in Gori. Tina and her 18-year-old daughter, Bella, had been hiding in the basement in fear. But they maintained hope that JDC would come. And they did.
Searching the area, JDC staff discovered a hidden basement door and continued to knock until Tina and Bella appeared. When asked if they were surprised by the knock at the basement door, Tina replied: "No. We were sure you (JDC) would find us."
Beyond basic necessities, like food, water, medicine, transportation, and shelter, many victims of the crisis will be forced to deal with the psychological trauma of the war—and the trauma of living as a refugee. JDC will continue to work to provide the victims of this war with basic needs and other ongoing assistance in time of crisis.
JDC Relief Workers: No Jew Left Behind
Thanks to a strong network of Hesedim and their staff, which provides assistance and programs for an estimated 2,200 elderly and 750 children, JDC has been able to locate many distressed victims and distribute humanitarian aid. These relief efforts are performed despite the challenges of the war-torn region, including fallen bridges, devastated homes, and searching amidst tens of thousands of refugees. JDC’s main goal: to get these victims to a safer space and provide them with the basic necessities of life.
Smart Cards: Relieving Isolation with Innovation
Blocked roads and fallen bridges have made entering isolated areas like Gori, Batumi, Oni and Kutaisi increasingly difficult. But JDC’s innovative staff has developed new methods to assist needy people in this area.
In Georgia, and throughout the former Soviet Union, JDC regularly provides clients with "Food Cards," a debit-like card often called "Miracle Cards" by many users. The Cards enable needy elderly, children and families to purchase fresh groceries at their local supermarkets. JDC provides the cards to 1,705 Hesed clients in Tbilisi, 232 clients in Kutaisi, and nearly 300 clients from totally isolated towns of Batumi.
With limited access to cash and rising costs of food, in immediate response to the recent crisis, JDC has been able to maintain the provision of aid to these needy clients by releasing funds to the card via JDC’s strong network of Hesedim. Recognizing the increased needs as a result of the conflict, the food card’s reach has also been expanded to include the purchase of items beyond food such as personal hygiene products, clothes, and other basic necessities.
Although many victims of the crisis have been isolated, JDC and its committed rescue workers have continued to extend emergency assistance and hope to them. JDC is working in full cooperation with JAFI and is engaged in daily briefings with the Israeli Ambassador.
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August 19, 2008:
JDC Relief Workers: No Jew Left Behind
Thanks to a strong network of Hesedim and their staff, which provide assistance and programs for an estimated 2,200 elderly and 750 children, JDC has been able to locate often distressed victims and distribute humanitarian aid. These relief efforts are performed despite the challenges of the war-torn region, including fallen bridges, devastated homes, and tens of thousands of refugees.
Tskhinvali, a town in which barely 20 Jews resided before the conflict, has been virtually destroyed. As of last Shabbat, thanks to its work with local Hesed staff, JDC had located all but one community member in the region. But JDC’s staff knew there was still one person still to be found—a missing homebound elderly client—a woman who would not be able to survive on her own. After continuous searching, JDC rescue workers discovered 79-year-old Rivka on August 17. Huddled in her kitchen—the only room in her apartment that hadn’t been destroyed from the constant attacks, terrified, she refused to leave her kitchen —and her city.
But JDC was able to move her out of her bombed apartment and into a safer space, providing her with food, water, and much-needed medicines. JDC will be making sure that Rosa has what she needs as the days progress.
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August 15, 2008:
Learn more about the history of the Georgian Jewish community and of JDC's activities in the region.
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August 14, 2008:
JDC’s Response to Crisis in Georgia
With a long history and expertise in relief and renewal, JDC has developed the strategic "know-how" that enabled staff to mobilize immediately when the conflict erupted in Georgia. JDC was one of the first organizations to respond with local and overseas staff on the ground just one day after the conflict began.
JDC anticipated Jewish refugees would flee in both directions—and they did. JDC quickly established two command posts: one on the Russian side in Vladikavkaz and one on the Georgian side in Tbilisi.
- JDC serves some 2,955 clients on a regular basis and is continuing to look after these clients and all the Jews of Georgia as they experience the stress of war. Out of JDC’s regular caseload, we estimate that there are some 714 elderly and children at risk, refugees from the war stricken zone.
- JDC is working to provide immediate relief, such as water, food, and medicine, to as many individuals as possible. We are also assisting in the absorption of the Jewish refugees into safe regions and working to account for the safety of Jewish community members.
- JDC’s SOS van, ordinarily used to provide basic needs to Hesed clients, is also being used to assist in the evacuation of families and individuals from the affected areas to Tbilisi.
August 13, 2008—As Reported by JDC Field Staff:
JDC SOS Van Delivers Clients to Safety
As reported yesterday, the JDC SOS van, which is usually used to deliver assistance to elderly Hesed clients, has become an emergency vehicle under the charge of JDC field staff, helping transport Georgian Jews of all ages from areas under heavy attack to safety. The van is also being used to bring critical relief such as food, water, and medicines to clients who have chosen to remain in their homes.
On August 12th, due to a sudden air raid, the JDC SOS van had to stop five kilometers before the entrance to the city of Gori. It was impossible to proceed into the city and JDC staff watched as residents escaped by foot carrying only their bare necessities. A call came in to the JDC SOS van’s mobile phone: "Save us! Please save us!" screamed an elderly woman into the telephone. "Our house is bombed!" Between the weeping and a disrupted connection, the JDC team learned the name of the sisters who placed the call and the name of their residential street in Gori. Their names were on the list of Jewish residents who were Hesed clients and were scheduled to be rescued in the day’s mission.
The JDC staff arrived to find three elderly sisters who were crying and yelling and demonstrating a good amount of panic as they sat amidst their scattered belongings which were what remained of their home.
The oldest sister Zina (age 75) and the youngest sister Manana (aged 60), with tears and horror in their eyes, begged their middle sister, 70-year-old Bella, to evacuate with them. Bella refused: "I’ll stay and keep the house for all of us. And you should go with the guys."
At the very last moment, a frightened elderly woman—one of their neighbors—ran up to the bus, begging that the JDC staff should take her with the others. The bus left with three evacuees on board.
JDC SOS Van Delivers Humanitarian Aid Packages
The JDC van’s next stop was the almost ruined house of the Frankel family: mother Irina burst into tears when she saw the bus arriving at her door. Having no transportation, Irina and her husband could not leave their house; their 15-year-old developmentally disabled son was in shock and unable to go on foot.
While the father was putting their belongings in the van, a neighbor named Natela was helping her friend Irina prepare to leave. In the conversation with JDC staff, Natela revealed that she and her husband were Jewish. When it was suggested they evacuate, she thanked them but refused: "My husband is a doctor in the local hospital. We just can’t leave when so many people need medical assistance and so few doctors are available. We have decided to stay. . . ." The JDC team left the family with packages of humanitarian aid, enough so that her husband could distribute the packages in the hospital to the neediest patients. "We are facing here every minute dozens of people who desperately need food—today even bread is great deficit! These packages are sure to save the lives of many!" said Natela.
Today’s report is one more example of JDC’s ongoing commitment to ensure safety and security of Jews wherever and whenever they are in need.
###August 12, 2008—As Reported by JDC Field Staff:
JDC Helps Evacuate Jews from Areas Under Attack
Since the Russian attacks began, the "JDC SOS" van, ordinarily used to deliver much-needed assistance to elderly Hesed clients, has become an emergency vehicle, helping move Georgian Jews of all ages from areas under heavy attack to safety while also bringing relief such as food, water, and medicines to clients who have chosen to remain in their homes.
Amidst severe bombings, the "JDC SOS" van has continued to distribute food to families. On August 10, the van helped evacuate another seven Jewish families, including an elderly couple, a single elderly Jew, and a family of three women—grandmother, daughter, and granddaughter. All these evacuees were immediately provided with basic necessities, including food and clothing.
JDC and Local Heseds Help Families in Distress
When the first bomb fell at a tank unit near Suhishvili Street—which was one of the first targets in an air wave—it smashed the balcony of a family unit: the home of Gulnara, 50, her husband Nodari, 73, and their daughter, 15. The balcony’s collapse blocked the entrance doors and sent the family running out into the yard. Four or five additional airstrikes would ensue before the family finally managed to escape in an old car in the garage and head to Tbilisi. But Nodari had already sustained serious injuries during the attack.
Within hours of the family’s arrival in Tbilisi, JDC provided the family with nutritious fresh food packages to last several days, medications, bed linens, clothing, footwear, and other basic necessities.
Gulnara’s elderly parents—both completely blind—were left behind in Gori. Their status is unknown but JDC will follow up.
JDC Delivers Food to Gori’s Remaining Jews
In Georgia, houses and buildings have quickly become targets under the air raids. An estimated 15 Jews remain in Gori, which continues to experience severe attacks. Without access to shops or any public services, Georgians can only remain inside their homes in fear and without food, gas, or electricity.
On August 11, Dato, Director of the Gori Hesed—one of several local entities by which JDC provides welfare assistance to the elderly in the region—decided to evacuate his wife and two young children to Tbilisi. The next day, Dato returned to his native Gori—but not alone. He arrived by way of a JDC van and, together with JDC relief workers, he was able to deliver large fresh food packages to the doors of his clients.
JDC remains dedicated to ensuring that those who have chosen to stay—or simply cannot leave—will receive basic necessities as they experience the stress of the conflict.
###August 11, 2008—In response to the escalation of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Georgia, JDC has instituted emergency measures to provide Jews trapped in the war zone with food, water, and medicine and assist those who relocated to safer areas either in Georgia or Russia. JDC, which assists 2,209 elderly and 759 children at risk and their families in the region, is currently providing welfare and social services to 714 Jewish elderly and children in the areas most affected by the fighting.
JDC has deployed additional staff and has been working with the local Jewish community to absorb and provide assistance to the estimated 100 Jewish refugees who left Gori for Tbilisi. A senior JDC staff person is directing the JDC rescue operation on the ground. Additional staff is now stationed in Vladikavkaz, which serves as an escape point from besieged South Ossetia. JDC’s 10-person team in the region is working to ensure there are no Jews left trapped in the war zone and render the much-needed initial aid.
Fighting in the region erupted late on August 7 when Georgia sent forces into South Ossetia, a small pro-Russian province which threw off Georgian rule in the 1990s. Russia responded by pouring troops and heavy armor into South Ossetia, where continuous ground battles have been fought mainly in the region’s capital, Tskhinvali. On August 9, Tskhinvali was taken over by Russia. The South Ossetia region remains completely isolated, without phone or other communications. On August 8 and 9, Russian planes bombed the Georgian cities of Gori and Poti. Borders to and from South Ossetia are currently completely blocked.
JDC today met with the Israeli Ambassador and the Jewish Agency for Israel on the ground in Tbilisi to share information about efforts in this region.
