OSCE helps rehabilitation of earthquake child victims in Georgia

TBILISI, 18 June 2002 - A fund raised by an OSCE charity ball is being used to provide psycho-social rehabilitation for 75 children from internally displaced families who were heavily affected by an earthquake in Georgia last April.

"By helping our children, the OSCE is helping us", one of the parents said at the start of a month-long rehabilitation project, which started in mid-June. The Tbilisi Youth House Foundation, which is organizing the project, will conduct rehabilitation courses for the five to fourteen year olds, including individual and group training, art therapy, team play, and handicrafts.

"We are convinced that this project is important and very valuable for these children", said Pascale Roussy from the OSCE Mission to Georgia at the opening ceremony on 17 June, welcoming the young participants, their parents, volunteers and the trainers of the Youth Foundation. "It also reflects the OSCE's commitment to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) - those who live in difficult circumstances due to a conflict", she added.

Georgia was hit by a strong earthquake on 25 April. Those particularly suffering are Abkhaz IDPs, who live under dire conditions. Psycho-social rehabilitation of the children of the most affected families is of special urgency.

"The Tbilisi Youth House Foundation implemented a similar project in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake", said Nana Doliashvili, Chairperson of the Foundation's Directorate at the opening ceremony.

Since 1998, the Tbilisi Youth House has assisted over nine thousand IDP and refugee children as well as other socially vulnerable youth. Support for IDPs and children forms an integral part of the mandate of the OSCE Mission to Georgia.