Waiting...

As the conflict drags on, Nino and the children remain in Tbilisi. Without electricity during the hot August weather, much of the food supply has spoiled. Because the Mkurnali Association is located near the president's house, the government has also cut gas to the neighborhood, which makes it difficult for the kids to cook. The mobile phone network appears to have been down much of the last few days, but thankfully the internet has been working, which has allowed me to contact Nino frequently in Tbilisi. Many Georgians have been calling family and friends outside the country to get news, which is not well covered on the local news stations, or relying on open internet forums to get information.

It appears that Tbilisi is out of harm's way for now, and the Georgian government has gone out of its way to reassure its residents that they do not need to evacuate. There is a rising anxiety in Georgia about a food and petrol shortage, however. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the conflict does not spread to Tbilisi!