In Tskhinval has been held a press conference of a Head of the Mission of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Lianna Hutchings, who has told the media about the activities of the organization in 2012.
Opening the meeting, the press secretary of the Mission Marina Tedety briefed those present on the structure of the organization and its activities in South Ossetia. She has stressed that the main purpose of the organization as defined by its mandate – is to provide assistance to the victims of armed conflicts.
Tedety recalled the large-scale operations of the ICRC in South Ossetia in August 2008.
"August 20, 2008 we were in Tskhinval, providing public assistance. Then we helped about 15 thousand people, "- she said.
Then the head of the Mission Lianna Hutchins described the work carried out by the ICRC in South Ossetia in 2012, noting that the organization had done a great job.
"I believe the great success, that we were able to provide many villages of South Ossetia with drinking water. We will continue this project next year ", - she said.
She also spoke about the scheme of training for transportation of seriously ill patients for urgent surgery to medical institutions of Georgia and added that in any action and implementation of any project the Mission is guided by purely humanitarian principles of impartiality and neutrality, which enabled it to operate in a post-conflict situation.
"The main argument for transportation of the patient for us is a final medical report. It should confirm that the patient requires emergency surgery, "- she specified, adding that during the year the Mission had transported to the medical institutions of Georgia 50 patients in need of emergency surgery.
"It isa big number, last year we transported 18 people," - she said.
At the meeting was also discussed the program of reunification of separated families. Hutchins said that in 2013 twenty people had reunited with their families. "They are mainly older people who want to spend their last days with their families," - she added.
Hutchins has added, that all the programs being implemented in South Ossetia will be continued next year.
"Next year will also be continued a program of family visits to detainees. We`ll organize both the short and long, twenty-four-hours visits. Unfortunately, there are not conditions for organizing the twenty-four-hours visits in Tskhinval prison,"- she said.
She also said that the Mission representatives regularly visited the Georgian and South Ossetian prisons.
"We examine the conditions of the prisoners, the attitude to them and take actions to eliminate all detected violations during the private conversations with the heads of the prisons. We help to transfer parcels from relatives and short letters from prisoners, "- said the head of the mission.
The talk turned to microeconomic projects implemented by ICRC in South Ossetia. According to the Head of Mission, ICRC staff is monitoring the using of farming machines and agricultural production, which is given out to the population within the frames of the program.
"Some of the programs we will eventually close, if we find their use impractical," - said Hutchins.
Speaking of care for vulnerable people, Hutchins has noted that the ICRC staff is watching this category.
"This category includes families having many children, single mothers and the old people, left without support of the relatives. Every three months these people are supplied with products, "- she said.
"But we`ll not always be able to help these people. At each meeting with the authorities of the Republic we draw their attention to this problem, "- she said.
Answering a question of a journalist, how long the ICRC will continue its activities in South Ossetia, Hutchins has expressed the hope that they will not be finished soon.
"In my opinion, the people of South Ossetia still need our help. We have a lot of work related to the missing citizens of South Ossetia and Georgia, and their families should be supported, "- she underlined.
Next year ICRC plans together with the Committee of the Perished and the Missing "Memory" to continue a program related to psychosocial care to these families.
