ReliefWeb

Appeal Target: US$ 2,401,774

Balance requested: US$1,498,679

Geneva, 21 November 2008

Dear Colleagues,

On August 7/8th, conflict broke out between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia resulting in many civilian casualties on both sides, thousands of displaced people and immense damages to infrastructure, homes, livelihoods and the psychosocial wellbeing of people in the directly affected and neighbouring areas. The UN has estimated the number of people displaced by the conflict at up to 160,000, of which, according to UNICEF, up to 40,000 are children. ACT members present on the ground have been responding with assistance since the conflict began. Now, with the winter fast advancing, IDPs, returnees and other people from the affected villages and towns require assistance to continue their efforts to put their lives back on track following the August war and further funding is urgently requested.

This appeal incorporates both relief and rehabilitation assistance by ACT members to IDPs, returnees and other affected people of different ethnic backgrounds both within the Georgian regions of Imereti, Shida Kartli and Tbilisi, breakaway region of South Ossetia, and bordering Russian region of North Ossetia. The proposed assistance is targeted based on the humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality and on field-based need assessments by ACT members and their local implementing partners.

This document is a revision of EUGE81 appeal (issued on 18 November) revised to include programmes for International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). Programmes for Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), International Swiss Interchurch Aid (HEKS) and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) remain unchanged.

Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA) are still awaiting access permission to South Ossetia, and once this is granted we expect that they will also be included into a further revised appeal.

Overall Programme Completion Date: October 2009 (appeal period from August 21 2008)

Requesting Member project completion Dates:

UMCOR – June 2009: (from 21 August 2008, UMCOR projects a timetable of ten (10) months to complete the work).

IOCC – June 2009 ( 10 months: 4 months for phase 1 and 6 months for phase two)

DKH- March 2009: (7 months- period covering partner Genesis 4 month project completing end Dec.'08, and partner IDPWA 4 month project estimated from end Nov. '08)

HEKS- October 2009: (14 months- 4 months food distribution until December 2008 and 10 months livelihood recovery).

ROC- May 2009: (period covering August '08 RRF crisis response and 6 months estimated from end Nov 2008)

Reporting schedule:

Summary of Appeal Targets, Pledges/Contributions Received and Balance Requested:

Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts:

US dollar

Account Number - 240-432629.60A
IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A

Euro

Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z
IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z

Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together
UBS AG
8, rue du Rhône
P.O. Box 2600
1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND
Swift address: UBSWCHZH80A

Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (jkg@act-intl.org) and the Programme Officer, Michael Zschiegner (mzs@act-intl.org), of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind cooperation.

For further information please contact:

ACT Director, John Nduna (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or
ACT Deputy Director, Bob White (phone +41 22 791 6047 or mobile phone +41 79 857 5334) or
ACT Program Officer, Michael Zschiegner (phone +41 22 791 6420 or mobile phone +41 79 608 8133)

Robert White
Deputy Director, ACT Co-ordinating Office