Conflict in South Ossetia

KEY FACTS

WJR has been supporting vulnerable elderly Jewish communities in Georgia since 2006.

South Ossetia has run its own affairs since fighting for independence from Georgia in 1991/2, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union.

South Ossetians want to join up with their ethnic brethren in North Ossetia, which is an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation.

Escalating tensions between Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia have erupted into serious fighting in the last few days. WJR has been supporting vulnerable elderly Jewish communities in Georgia since 2006 and has been monitoring the effects of hostilities on those that it is trying to assist.

The separatist administration in South Ossetia has been trying to gain formal independence since breaking away in a civil war in the 1990s. Russia has troops in the region, on a peacekeeping mandate. But Moscow also supports the separatists.

South Ossetia has run its own affairs since fighting for independence from Georgia in 1991/2, in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. It has declared independence, though this has not been recognised by any other country. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to bring South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, back under full Georgian control.

South Ossetians want to join up with their ethnic brethren in North Ossetia, which is an autonomous republic within the Russian Federation. Ethnic Georgians are a minority in South Ossetia, accounting for less than one-third of the population.

By 11 August, Georgia said it had ordered its troops to begin a ceasefire, that its forces had withdrawn from South Ossetia and that the Russians were fully in control in the region's capital, Tskhinvali. But Russia says clashes are continuing, and it launched fresh bombing raids near the Georgian capital, Tbilisi and into Gori and Poti. WJR’s local partners have been supporting approximately 120 clients in Gori and some 70 clients in Poti. There is a very small Jewish community in Tskinvali (the capital of the seperatist Georgian Province) though it is possible they would have fled to Russia before fighting began. Dependent on how fighting escalates further, vulnerable Jewish elderly may be evacuated from Gori to the capital in Tbilisi.

There has been a Jewish presence in Georgia for twenty-six centuries. Some believe they are one of the lost tribes of Israel others believe they are the descendents of the Jews who escaped Jerusalem during the destruction of the first Temple in 586 BCE. These Jews make up 90% of Georgia’s Jewish population. The remaining ten percent are Ashkenazim who arrived in the country in 1801 when Georgia became a part of Russia or during the Second World War. The two communities remain fairly separate, with their own synagogues and organisations. Unlike many Jewish communities in the Former Soviet Union, Georgian Jews maintained their community, religion and traditions throughout the difficult periods of the twentieth century. There is little anti-Semitism in the country or any forced assimilation. Georgia is proud of its Jewish heritage and sees it as a part of its own history and makeup.

Fifteen years ago there were over 100,000 Jews in Georgia. Today, barely 11,000 remain, the majority of them based in Tbilisi. Georgian Jews, typically, are more religious than the Ashkenazi Jews. They have a very strong sense of community and work hard to keep their traditions alive.

WJR's Georgia programming supports the most vulnerable elderly in Georgia's Jewish community. The Jewish elderly find themselves living in extreme poverty and hopelessness, with inflation eating into their savings and pensions insufficient to cover even basic needs, such as food and medicine. WJR's programme contributes to the provision of food, homecare services, winter relief and healthcare for clients mainly based in Tbilisi and Rustavi.

WJR is not yet launching an appeal for funds, but is closely monitoring the situation. To support our ongoing welfare programme throughout the FSU and Eastern Europe please donate through the website or call 020 8736 1250.