THE STATE REPRESENTATIVE ADMINISTRATION

71 socially vulnerable families of Sachkhere municipality were given food and hygiene packages along the dividing line. The State Minister and the State Representative in Imereti arrived at the occupation line in the village of Perevi and visited socially vulnerable families. All socially vulnerable families in the villages of the Sachkhere Municipality were provided with baskets of food and hygiene items. The action was funded by Duty Free Georgia. Ketevan Tsikhelashvili and Zviad Shalamberidze together with Sachkhere Municipality Mayor Benjamin Palavandishvili got acquainted with the need of families. According to the Minister of State, the assistance to the population living along the occupation line with the involvement of international partners and private companies continues uninterruptedly, and eventually the campaign will cover all the villages near the dividing line.

"Today, in the village of Perevi, we provided humanitarian assistance to 71 socially vulnerable families with the support of private businesses. By being here, we also wanted to show our support for the people who have to face barbed wire and occupation every day. Perevi is one of the more than 100 villages in Georgia, which today is divided by various types of barricades and barbed wire. I am glad that there are large families here, there are also young people who, despite the challenges, do not leave their village. This assistance will continue, we have this campaign on the perimeter of the entire occupation line to stand by these families during the dealing with COVID-19. It is very important that at the next stage of COVID-19, when we are already taking steps towards economic opening, renewal of agricultural programs, to get the maximum benefit from these villages, they really need additional sources of income. In the meters there is already a village, which is no longer accessible due to the fact that the occupied territory and all the so-called the passage is closed. During this period, especially since September, in the face of isolation, we have, in fact, made every effort to help people on the other side of the dividing line. This need became especially acute after the appearance of COVID-19. There are not enough products in the region or in these villages, there are no medicines, I am not talking about personal hygiene products and various medical equipment, which is necessary to deal with COVID-19 directly. We work with partners every day to gain access. We are ready to help the population not only when they move to a controlled area, but also on - site. If we manage to do it in different directions in the direction of Abkhazia, in the direction of Tskhinvali it is practically impossible. Once again, the occupation regime here has a deaf wall that primarily harms people who live in the occupied territories. The only international Red Cross organization operating there has a humanitarian mandate. Provides some humanitarian assistance to the population with the same product packages and hygiene products. Obviously, we are very actively cooperating with them to support this population. We have not stopped providing medical services to the residents of Tskhinvali region for a single day. The problem is that ethnic Georgians, unfortunately, very often face the problem of ethnic exclusion. This is absolutely unacceptable. All patients for us, regardless of ethnicity, be it Ossetian, Georgian, or any other of our residents, of course, always receive qualified medical care. During the COVID-19 period, nearly 100 patients were treated from both regions in a controlled area."-  stated Ketevan Tsikhelashvili.