United Nations Radio

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres(photo), arrived today in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia to start a four-day visit to the country and the Russian Federation.

Mr. Guterres will assess humanitarian operations by the United Nations refugee agency in both countries following last week's confrontation between Georgian and Russian forces in the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

Mr. Guterres will also meet people displaced by the conflict and hold discussions with Georgian and Russian authorities about any further assistance they may require.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees will again press for the protection of the civilian population and for safe and unhindered access by humanitarian organizations to the areas of displacement.

Meanwhile, UNHCR spokesman, Andrej Mahecic, says the refugee agency today organized the first humanitarian flight to Batumi in western Georgia.

"Aid supplies for more than 50,000 people have been flown so far to Tbilisi but road convoys cannot reach western Georgia, where some 15,000 displaced are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. A UNHCR-chartered Boeing 707, carrying aid from our emergency stockpile in Dubai, landed this morning at Batumi airport at 08:05 local time. Its cargo included tents, blankets, kitchen sets and jerry cans."

Mahecic says that UNHCR, which has six offices in Georgia helping over 200,000 previously displaced people, is quickly distributing the relief items.

This is Dianne Penn for United Nations Radio.

(duration: 1'42")