Similar items had been distributed to almost 800 residents of Khetagurovo, seven kilometres west of the capital, the day before.

"These villages were severely affected by the recent hostilities," says Aslan Bzhikhatlov, an ICRC economic security delegate. "That’s why we chose them for our distributions, after assessing the situation and determining what kind of aid was needed."

The ICRC has also been working on improving the water supply system of Tskhinvali’s 400-bed Republican Hospital. "We plan to install water tanks on each floor of the building very shortly. Trucks will deliver water to the hospital," says Guy Mouron, an ICRC water engineer. "We’ll be delivering electric generators this week. With the resumption of water and electricity supplies, hospital staff will once again be able to sterilize medical instruments and linens." The ICRC is also helping the hospital to dispose of medical waste safely.

People who have been unable to contact their families are seeking help from the ICRC office in Tskhinvali. Some are eager to send Red Cross messages (brief messages containing family news) to their loved ones who fled the fighting, while others are desperately trying to establish the whereabouts of their missing relatives.

"Elderly people who stayed behind and lost contact with those who fled are the most vulnerable," says Laurent Fellay, who heads the ICRC office in Tskhinvali. "Restoring family links is a major priority for the ICRC, which stands ready to organize or support the reunification of families in cooperation with the authorities on both sides." On 30 August, the ICRC arranged for an elderly woman to be reunited with her family in Tbilisi and for a man to return to his relatives in Tskhinvali. The ICRC hopes to carry out more such operations in the near future.

The ICRC currently has some 20 staff working in Tskhinvali. It maintains an ongoing dialogue with the de facto authorities which enables it to coordinate aid efforts.