As severe snowfall continues to cut off multiple villages in Georgia’s western Guria region, volunteer rescue teams from Tbilisi and other cities are stepping in to assist those trapped by the harsh winter conditions. Residents are running out of food and essential supplies, prompting an urgent response.
“A woman with four young children is stranded in one village. They are running out of food, and we need to reach them immediately. There is also a cleric in a monastery who has no food and no electricity. We don’t have his exact location yet, but we will find it on the way. Additionally, we need to deliver medicine to the elderly and evacuate some to safer areas”, one of the volunteers told the press.
Volunteers from Kutaisi and Gori are also on their way to Guria, while civil activist Koka Jakhutashvili, based in Ozurgeti, is coordinating the efforts on the ground. He says conditions in Guria’s high-mountain villages have deteriorated further.
“The snowfall is relentless. Yesterday, we could list the villages in the worst condition, but today, nearly every village in Guria is facing severe difficulties. Roads are blocked, people are running out of food, and some are melting snow for drinking water. In some areas, we’ve had no contact with residents for three or four days.”
Jakhutashvili also raised concerns over a lack of resources.
“Although some snow-clearing equipment is in operation, it is insufficient. Power outages persist across multiple villages. In Shroma, for instance, we learned yesterday that three houses had collapsed under the weight of snow, but today we have lost contact with the informant.”
While more volunteers are arriving in Ozurgeti, Jakhutashvili warns that experience is crucial.
“We appreciate the willingness to help, but those unfamiliar with wet, heavy snow could put themselves at risk. Volunteers must be physically prepared or trained to move through deep snow.”
With Guria and Adjara facing days of severe winter conditions, travel has been halted since February 20. Many villages remain cut off, and residents are calling for urgent assistance.
Five days after the snowfall began, on February 25, the Georgian government announced that the country’s defense forces would join relief efforts. However, frustration is mounting among residents who say official aid has been slow to arrive.
Meanwhile, the National Environmental Agency warns that the extreme weather will continue until at least February 27, affecting high-altitude regions of Guria, Adjara, and Imereti.
As the snowfall continues, tragic incidents have been reported. In the village of Konchkati, a middle-aged man died when the roof of a house collapsed while he was helping a neighbor clear the snow. The authorities are investigating the circumstances of his death.
In Shroma, another man was injured while removing snow from a residential building. Due to blocked roads, he remained stranded for hours before local residents cleared a path to transport him to hospital. Medical staff report that he is in stable condition.
Despite government assurances that emergency response teams have been working around the clock since the onset of the crisis, many affected citizens remain dissatisfied. With entire communities still isolated, residents are turning to social media to share their struggles and seek assistance.
