Population census will be held in South Ossetia in 2010. This decision has been made by the RSO Government presidium. A draft law has been presented by the RSO Statistics Service. The last census in South Ossetia has been carried out in 1987. As stated by the Statistics Service, "it is planned to cover all districts of South Ossetia, including those occupied by Georgia. Presentloy, preparation works are being implemented".
Works on Tskhinval"s gasification continue. Currently, 30 % of the city are connected to gas, reports Alan Gabaraev, Director of "Energetica" company. "So far, gas supply has been resumed partly at northern, northwest and southwest sectors of Tskhinval. Our specialists continue checking the pipes in each house. A significant number of damages have been revealed stemming from Georgia"s aggression. The defects are being eliminated in shortest time possible.
The Ministry of Defense of Georgia had signed 26 January a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EU military mission (EUMM) on limited deployment of armamament at the territories adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia. According to the MoU, Georgia had committed itslf not to deploy more than a battalion of personnel and arms not exceeding 120-mm caliber in 15 km from the administrative borders of these republics.
This agreement has been commented by the Press-service of the RSO MoD.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has started a new phase of distribution of humanitarian assistance in South Ossetia. This assistance, including shoes and clothes, targets the most vulnerable people. From 1 November until 25 December 2008, the ICRC already carried out a large-scaled distribution of food and non-food items covering an overall number of 14,000 beneficiaries in four regions of South Ossetia. "After a thorough needs assessment, the ICRC identified a group of beneficiaries for the new round.
Georgia continued its informational sabotage against the Republic of South Osseit, having dubbed one of the state South Ossetian web-pages "Osinform" where they had placed a piece of provocative misinformation. Moreover, this sabotage page is also circulating messages on behalf of "Osinform".
As it had been reported, after a six-month energy blockade of South Ossetia by Georgia since the armed aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008, on 23 January 2009, natural gas supply from the Russian Federation through Georgia had been resumed.
The City Administration provides support to those citizens who were badly affected by the Georgian aggression and who lost their housing by renting apartments, reports Robert Guliev, Tskhinval Mayor. "There are written applications of citizens who completely lost their private houses during the Georgian aggression and they have no place to stay at.
A new book titled "The Tragedy of South Ossetia: A Limitless Genocide" has been published in South Ossetia. The author of the book is Alexei Margiev an well-known gatherer of information on South Ossetia"s contemporary history. This compilation contains about a thousand pictures depicting the whole tragedy of the aggression committed by Georgia against South Ossetia.
"The Report issues by Human Rights Watch under the title "Up in Flames. Humanitarian Law Violations and Civilian Victims in the Conflict over South Ossetia" has a selective approach towards the actions by the sides and this causes concerns", said the HR Plenipotentiary to SO president David Sanakoev. "The report says practically nothing about the damage caused to South Ossetia as a result of Georgian aggression.
As it had been reported, after a six-month energy blockade of South Ossetia by Georgia since the armed aggression against South Ossetia in August 2008, on 23 January 2009, natural gas supply from the Russian Federation through Georgia had been resumed.