Georgia: IOCC begins distributions in Tbilisi & North Ossetia

Baltimore, Maryland — International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) distributed emergency food and hygiene supplies to people who were displaced due to the conflict between Georgian, Russian, and South Ossetian forces. The distribution took place on Thursday in Tbilisi where displaced families took shelter in a school for the blind and in the nearby town of Tskvarichamia. IOCC is also coordinating assistance to refugees in North Ossetia (Russia) in partnership with the Russian Orthodox Church.

"Most people had to flee the fighting in South Ossetia and brought nothing more than the clothes on their backs," said IOCC Georgia Program Manager Darejan Dzotsenidze. The Georgian government and the U.N. are currently registering some 23,000 people who fled the conflict and poured into Tbilisi. Those numbers are expected to increase.

IOCC released emergency funds to its Tbilisi and Moscow offices earlier this week to purchase food items such as pasta, rice, cereal, sugar and tea, and hygiene items including towels, soap and tooth paste. The collective centers where the displaced are housed often have two families in one room.

"Many of those who fled hid in basements and forests until they had to find food," said Dzotsenidze. "Now they are saying, 'please help me to get home – even if you give me a palace here, I would rather go home.'"

IOCC, which has worked on emergency and development projects in Russia and Georgia since the early 1990s, is working in partnership with the Georgian Orthodox Church in the affected areas of Georgia and with the Russian Orthodox Church in North Ossetia.

To help in providing emergency relief, call IOCC's donation hotline toll-free at 1-877-803-4622, make a gift on-line at www.iocc.org, or mail a check or money order payable to "IOCC" and write "Conflict in the Caucasus" in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.

IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $275 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.

Media: Contact Ms. Amal Morcos at 410-243-9820 or (cell) 443-823-3489.

SOURCE:

READ THE PREVIOUS POST RELATED TO THIS STORY:

Georgia: Humanitarian need deepens as conflict in the Caucasus affects thousands

IOCC Mobilizes Tbilisi and Moscow Staff to Assist Victims

Baltimore, Maryland — In the fourth day of fighting between Russian and Georgian forces, thousands have been displaced from their homes in Georgia and in the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The United Nations is reporting that tens of thousands of people have fled South Ossetia, and that the western town of Gori, which has come under heavy artillery fire from Russian forces, is now nearly deserted.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has mobilized staff in its Tbilisi and Moscow offices to provide assistance to those who have been affected by this widening conflict. IOCC is working in partnership with the Georgian Orthodox Church to provide food and hygiene supplies to IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the town of Gori and in the capital of Tbilisi. IOCC is also assisting refugees in North Ossetia with medical and food supplies provided in partnership with the Russian Orthodox Church.

“The numbers of those displaced by this conflict will increase every day,” says IOCC Regional Director George Antoun. “Their needs are basic and pressing: food, water, shelter, blankets and medical care,” he continued. IOCC has released funds to assist those who have been affected and is issuing an emergency appeal for additional support.

IOCC’s first humanitarian mission was to Russia in 1992. IOCC began providing emergency humanitarian relief to Georgia in 1994 when more than a quarter of a million people were displaced due to separatist fighting.

To help in providing emergency relief, call IOCC’s donation hotline toll-free at 1-877-803-4622, make a gift on-line at www.iocc.org, or mail a check or money order payable to “IOCC” and write “Conflict in the Caucasus” in the memo line to: IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.

IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $275 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.

Media: Contact Ms. Amal Morcos at 410-243-9820 or (cell) 443-823-3489.

SOURCE:

READ THE PREVIOUS POST RELATED TO THIS STORY:

SCOBA Hierarchs Convene For Spring 2008 Session

From Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>
Date Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:03:17 -0700

SCOBA

The Standing Conference of the Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas
8 East 79th Street, New York, NY 10075-0106

Press Release

June 13, 2008

SCOBA Hierarchs Convene For Spring 2008 Session

New York, NY - The Spring Session of the Standing Conference of theCanonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA) met on June 12, 2008from 10:30 a.m. ­ 3:00 p.m. at the Headquarters of the Greek OrthodoxArchdiocese of America. This session was attended by all Hierarchs ofSCOBA: Archbishop Demetrios, Chairman (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese),Metropolitan Philip, Vice-Chairman (Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese),Metropolitan Christopher, Secretary (Serbian Orthodox Church),Metropolitan Nicholas (Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese), MetropolitanHerman (Orthodox Church in America), Metropolitan Joseph (BulgarianOrthodox Church), Archbishop Nicolae (Romanian Orthodox Archdiocese),Archbishop Antony (proxy, Ukrainian Orthodox Church) and Bishop Ilia(Albanian Orthodox Diocese). In attendance as well were MetropolitanMaximos of Pittsburgh (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), Metropolitan Methodiosof Boston (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese), and Bishop Antoun of Miami(Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese). Also present were the GeneralSecretary and thirteen members of the SCOBA Study and Planning Commissionrepresenting all the SCOBA member Churches.

The Hierarchs held a fraternal and open discussion related to SCOBAAgencies, dealing with communications, education and mission. The formalrequest of the Vicar of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, who isalso the Administrator of the Moscow Patriarchal parishes in the USA (33in number), Bishop Mercurius of Zaraisk to be included on SCOBA waspresented by the Chairman, Archbishop Demetrios. He noted that the MoscowPatriarchate, through its Exarchate, had been one of the original signersof the SCOBA Constitution. After the Archbishopâ??s presentation of thematter, there was immediate unanimous agreement, in a spirit of fraternalwelcome, by all SCOBA Hierarchs to welcome the Representation of theMoscow Patriarchate in the United States, in the person of BishopMercurius, to full membership in SCOBA.

In addition, both Archbishop Demetrios and Metropolitan Philip shared withthe other SCOBA Hierarchs the positive results of their individualmeetings with Metropolitan Hilarion, the newly enthroned (May 18, 2008)First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR).

The Co-Chair of the Orthodox-Roman Catholic Theological Consultation,Metropolitan Maximos, gave a presentation on the status of the variousInter-Christian Dialogues. The meeting closed with an open and fraternaldiscussion of ecclesiastical issues that need attention.

SOURCE: