UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia visits Georgia

UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, the UNICEF Representative to the UN in Geneva, and the Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Response in Europe, Ms. Afshan Khan pays her second official visit to Georgia from 19 to 21 April 2021.

Ms. Afshan Khan, together with Dr. Ghassan Khalil, the UNICEF Representative in Georgia, will meet with senior government officials, community representatives, and young people in both Tbilisi and in Pankisi Gorge, to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and families, and the Government of Georgia’s efforts to address the needs of the most vulnerable communities.

The Regional Director will have meetings with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia - Mr. Lasha Darsalia, the Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health, and Social Affairs - Ms. Ekaterine Tikaradze, and the Director General of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health - Dr. Amiran Gamkrelidze, to discuss the long-standing partnership and ongoing cooperation on vaccination and support in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am glad to be back in Georgia in these challenging times when the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the essential services that secure the health, education, and protection of children and young people." - Afshan Khan

“I am glad to be back in Georgia in these challenging times when the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the essential services that secure the health, education, and protection of children and young people,” said the UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia Ms. Afshan Khan. “Children, especially the poorest and most marginalized, are amongst the hardest hit; and UNICEF is closely working with the Government of Georgia to prioritize children in their response plans to avert a lost COVID Generation. We need to protect our children now, and help to reimagine a better future.”

The Regional Director will also visit the Pankisi Gorge together with the UN Resident Coordinator in Georgia and UNICEF’s international development partners, a group comprised of Ambassadors and international development organizations from Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, and the United States.

The visit to Pankisi is being organized by UNICEF Georgia to provide international development partners with a holistic account of the current needs of the people whose lives have been affected by these complex challenges. In line with the government decentralization strategy, UNICEF will facilitate meetings with local community organizations to learn about the needs of children, young people, and families, to expand engagement in the region, through a child-oriented development plan.

The two-day visit to Pankisi Gorge will include meetings with the local Council of Elders, the Women’s Council, and religious leaders; it will also include discussions with the local youth, a meeting with parents, and a handover of educational resources to the Pankisi schools.

During her visit to Pankisi, the UNICEF Regional Director will stress the importance of providing all children, especially children living in ethnic minority communities, the opportunities to fully participate in shaping the future of their families and communities.

Media contacts

Maya Kurtsikidze

Communication Officer

UNICEF Georgia