Tskhinval (ICRC) 1 March 2010 – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) today launched a program of agricultural support to rural populations affected by the conflict. Close to 4'000 households (approximately 10'000 individuals) will receive a package of potatoes, vegetable seeds, fertilizer and insecticide. The distribution of in-kind agricultural inputs is designed to increase the productivity of vegetables and orchard crops in rural areas on which many people rely for their subsistence.
This is the second agricultural program implemented by the ICRC since the armed conflict in 2008.
"An evaluation of the 2009 program revealed encouraging results and a strong positive feedback from beneficiaries", explains economic security delegate Azim Noorani. "At the same time people in rural areas continue to face economic problems. A particular challenge is their limited access to traditional markets, which has an adverse impact on residents' ability to sell their agricultural outputs and sustain their income. Therefore, the ICRC has decided to continue its agricultural support to vulnerable rural populations in 2010, and to expand the number of beneficiaries in order to ensure a more coherent coverage of affected areas."
The program begins with beneficiaries in the districts of Znaur region, and will continue in areas of Tskhinval and Leningor regions. Distributions are planned to be completed by April in order to provide agricultural inputs in time for appropriate planting according to the local seasonal calendar.
In addition to its agricultural support, the ICRC assisted in January 2010 isolated villages to access wheat-flour at an affordable price. Residents in some remote areas are unable to access or afford flour, as a result of bad road conditions in winter and the lack of public transport. Working closely with local representatives, the ICRC trucked 401 sacks of flour to seven villages in the Tsinagar and Zakkor districts of Leningor enabling villagers to buy sufficient quantities of flour at the Tskhinval market price.
Currently, an ICRC team of around 80 expatriate and national staff has been working in Tskhinvali/Tskhinval. The budget for the ICRC humanitarian operations in South Ossetia for 2010 is around 4 million US Dollars.
