Ever ready to assist, Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) has been on alert since the conflict between Georgia and Russia began, and deployed an emergency crew of telecoms specialists to land in Tbilisi on Wednesday afternoon. This action came after five days of intense combat between both countries. On Tuesday they agreed to a truce, thus facilitating access to conflict victims for aid workers.
Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) crews of IT and telecoms specialists can intervene anywhere in the world in less than 24 hours after any sudden onset disaster or conflict, and in a matter of minutes, set up a satellite-based telecoms center offering broadband Internet, phone and fax lines. The centers enable emergency NGO, the United Nations and local authorities to communicate at the heart of event, and they facilitate the coordination of aid efforts.
The conflict in Georgia led to the displacement of vast numbers of people trying to flee fighting in South Ossetia, North Ossetia and Abkhazia. According to local sources, 80 percent of the 50,000 inhabitants of Gori, a city located only 90 kms from the Georgian capital Tbilisi, have fled in fear of Russian air strikes. Many infrastructures have been damaged but Tbilisi international Airport was spared by the attacks.
After landing in Tbilisi on Wednesday afternoon TSF will assess the telecom needs of the humanitarian community and affected civilians. The TSF crew is carrying satellite communications equipment to install communication centers offering broadband Internet access, phone and fax lines and all the necessary IT equipment for a crisis management center. Then TSF could run humanitarian calling operations so that victims of the conflict can give news to their family in the country and abroad, and request personalized assistance, but the support depends on access to those displaced, as bombings continue in some areas.
This is the first time TSF has deployed to Georgia, but since its creation 10-years ago TSF assisted in many conflict zones; notably in Kosovo in 1999; Afghanistan in 2001; Iraq in 2003; and more recently in Lebanon during summer 2006. This mission, which should last at least two weeks, is funded by the Vodafone Group Foundation, the United Nations Foundation, Inmarsat, Eutelsat, Vizada, AT&T, Cable & Wireless and the Regional Council of Aquitaine.
