European Commission Press-Release

In the face of an armed conflict that may have claimed numerous lives and has displaced thousands of people, Georgia has called on the international community for assistance. Contacts have been good with the Georgian government, and the European Union is providing help through its Civil Protection Mechanism, which was activated on 12 August 2008. Eleven EU Member States – Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden – are providing assistance, including medical supplies, blankets, shelter and food. Austria has provided sufficient basic medical equipment to cover 10000 persons for 3 months. Experts from the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) are in the region and are monitoring the humanitarian situation closely. As the situation on the ground seems to be improving, the EU Monitoring and Information Centre is considering the possibility of dispatching of an assessment and coordination team to Tbilisi.

For more information:
Civil Protection Unit: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm