Since WFP started operations in Georgia in 1993, it has brought over 220,000 metric tons of food to the country helping to assist the most vulnerable groups as well as rehabilitate livelihoods for small-scale farming households. WFP activities also supported government efforts to promote education and fight tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
The 2008 conflict created a new pool of vulnerable people in need of immediate and medium-term social protection. In July 2009, WFP launched a new phase of its protracted relief and recovery operation (PRRO) to support 130,000 IDPs and other war-affected population groups.
Through relief component, WFP has provided assistance to meet basic food needs and prevent the loss of assets. WFP assistance has also been improving food production capacity through the creation and rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure, mainly through food-for-assets (FFA) and cash-for-assets (CFA) for IDPs and subsistence farmers in conflict-affected rural communities.
Due to a critical shortage of funding, the volume of food assistance has considerably decreased since June 2010, and the CFA projects ended in September 2010. A multilateral allocation has enabled a small winterization programme for about 5,000 of the most vulnerable IDPs from November 2010 to May 2011.
The country office embarked upon a downsizing exercise, since April 2010, to reduce programme activities and staff numbers in keeping with the funding situation. By the end of August 2010, all field offices as well as two warehouses, were closed. Limited WFP presence is currently kept in the country to provide technical assistance and a base from which operations could easily be scaled up should the need arise.
WFP’s current activities :
WFP has recently extended the current operation by six months, bringing the end date to 31 December 2011. During the extension period capacity development activities will be stepped up as part of the hand-over strategy by the end of the year.