Subject: Mission on COVID-19 to Abkhazia
From: "DOMENTE, Silviu" <[email-masked]>
To: Tamar Gabunia <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 14 Mar 2020 15:09:20 +0000

Dear Tamar,

This is to provide you some additional details on the forthcoming mission to Abkhazia.

The mission will consist of the WHO Health Emergency Hub Coordinator for Southern Caucasus, a WHO consultant on laboratory strengthening and a WHO consultant on hospital readiness.

The mission will move towards Abkhazia on Tuesday, but will stay overnight in Zugdidi and enter Abkhazia on Wednesday morning.

I plan to accompany the mission on Wednesday and meet the Abkhazian health authorities for strategic discussions regarding the response to COVID-19 and potential support from WHO and other UN/donor agencies. On Wednesday evening I will
return back, but the mission will work on the ground for 3 days – Wednesday to Friday evening. Then Friday evening they will probably spend also in Zugdidi and on Saturday will be back in Tbilisi.

The mission will be transported with UNDP cars, under the special arrangements within the available dialogue mechanisms.

The UNDP Representative will also accompany the mission and be present also at the strategic meetings and will stay in Abkhazia for the whole week (they have a sub-office there).

In addition UNDP has procured some supplies requested by Abkhazian authorities – 500 sets of personal protection equipment and disinfectants.

We are working currently on a detailed agenda of the mission and I will share it with you, but quite difficult as we have no direct communication with Abkhazian authorities. I will share with you as soon as we have something systematized
on paper.

Let me know please if you need any additional questions or clarifications at this stage.

With best regards,

Silviu

Dr Silviu Domente

WHO Representative and Head of WHO Country Office

WHO Country Office, Georgia

81, Basil Barnov Street

0179 Tbilisi, Georgia

Tel:  +995 32 299 80 73

Email: [email-masked]

Mobile: +995 599 47 54 85

Skype: silviudomente

GPN: 74222