C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001356
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2018
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, RU, GG
SUBJECT: GEORGIA: SOUTH OSSETIA SITREP 7
Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 

1. (C) Summary and Comment: Local press 
announced that President Saakashvili has signed a cease-fire agreement 
in the presence of the French and Finnish Foreign Ministers; this will 
be taken by the French and Finnish FM's to Moscow for consideration by 
the Russian Government. UNOMIG observers report that IDPs are now moving
down from the Kodori valley, although CIS Peacekeeping forces are 
stopping some humanitarian assistance vehicles in the same area. The 
Ambassador conducted a townhall meeting with all embassy staff August 11
about the current situation. On the same day, the second tranche of 
family members departed to Yerevan via a caravan at 1430 as part of the 
authorized departures. USAID personnel are visiting area hospitals to 
determine assistance needs and are coordinating with other donor 
organizations. USAID has $250,000 new emergency spending authority to 
support the procurement of these needs. The current toll of wounded 
continues to rise, with the latest numbers hovering around 1500. End 
Summary and Comment.

Town Hall
--------- 

2. (C) Ambassador held a town 
hall meeting which nearly all mission personnel attended. He explained 
the current situation on the ground as he knew it, the authorized 
departures which were approved yesterday and took questions from the 
locally engaged staff. One of the issues which surfaced at the meeting 
was the problems local staff are having with banks. Some of them cannot 
access their funds and yesterday credit cards use was frozen. The GoG 
has warned Georgians not to use on-line banking as some sites have been 
hacked. Most of the difficulties appear to be associated with those who 
have banking overdraft protections. If they are currently overdrawn 
despite pre-designated standing order amounts to be deducted, their 
entire balance is being frozen or applied towards the outstanding 
amount. Management is looking into options to help the affected locally 
engaged staff, who number 47 people.

Assistance and Casualties 
------------------------- 

3. (C) On August 11 Tbilisi area hospitals, 
Republican and Gudushauri, were accepting civilian and military 
casualties. Over 1500 casualties have been transferred to Tbilisi since 
the conflict began. Additional casualties are being treated in Gori. The
number of initial IDPs estimated from the conflict is 3000. With 
ongoing departures from the conflict zone and mass departures from Gori 
and other cities and towns on the conflict fronts, IDP numbers could 
climb into the tens of thousands. Post received an initial request for 
emergency supplies for hospitals and IDPs from the Ministries of Health 
and Refugees on August 9. The list was distributed to UN agencies, 
EUCOM, Doctors without Borders, World Vision, Save the Children, Oxfam, 
Counterpart International, and International Relief and Development. 
Several of these organizations had limited amounts of these supplies 
pre-positioned in country. Transfer of these supplies to local hospitals
and IDP collection centers began on August 10. Medical, bedding, and 
shelter supplies currently in country are insufficient to meet the 
projected needs. 

4. (C) USAID has $250,000 new emergency spending 
authority to support the procurement of these needs. Several 
international NGOS have offered additional contributions. The World Food
Program can cover 16,000 rations for 10 days. UNHCR said they have a 
stored quantity of blankets and kitchen assets, with funds for 
mattresses for up to 3,000 people. EUCOM has asked how it can assist in 
providing air transport, additional medical supplies and food. Funding 
does not appear to be an issue at this point. Coordination among donors,
international organizations, and local institutions is somewhat 
disorganized but a coordination framework has been established. 
Communication has been hampered by overuse of mobile networks. 

5. (C) 
Key potential problems in meeting needs includes: the security situation
(as long as there is no observed cease fire, distribution will be 
limited); international transportation (in light of the Russian 
blockade); and internal distribution (airport infrastructure has been 
damaged, and internal travel is made more difficult by damaged roads.) 

6. (C) UNOMIG observers told Poloff that over 1,000 IDPs are coming down
from the Upper Kodori valley near the village of Chuberia on August 11 
at 1330. A relief convoy of 20 empty buses and two mini-buses with food 
are headed in the same direction. CISPKF stopped the convoy near Urta, 
allowing

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only two minibuses with food to continue.

Gori
---- 

7. (C) OSCE observers told Poloff that Georgian 
forces are out of the Zone of Conflict. Observers reported seeing 
anti-aircraft positions east and west of Gori and the situation on the 
ground in Gori hasn't changed much since August 10. The same observer 
said he saw tanks west of Dighomi, which are being transported by rail. 
Georgian press is showing the visit of French FM Koucher Finnish FM 
Stubb to Gori and buildings which have been destroyed.

Georgian FLEX Students
---------------------- 

8. (C) There are 27 Georgian FLEX 
students (Future Leaders Exchange Students, the Department's one year 
high-school exchange program) who are booked to depart on an August 12 
on a Lufthansa flight to the U.S. via Munich. American councils will try
to book them through Baku, and send them on the night train to Baku on 
August 11. The Yerevan flights for this date are full (or not enough 
seats to accommodate the group). The remaining Abkhaz FLEX student 
traveled to the U.S. on his Russian passport via Kyiv on August 5.

TEFFT