A severe drought is ravaging crops across the Caucasus and Central Asia. The hardest hit countries, Georgia and Tajikistan , are issuing urgent appeals for assistance, as some experts warn that millions of people may face severe food shortages in the coming months. In addition, a crumbling agricultural infrastructure is complicating harvesting efforts.
Some analysts say most of the orchards and vineyards in eastern Georgia have been wiped out.
Shevardnadze announced that he has appealed to the United States and the European Union, as well as a variety of international organizations, requesting emergency food aid. According to estimates by the Georgian Ministry of Agriculture, almost 80 percent of the country s wheat crop has been lost. In some regions, loses to other crops approaches 70 percent, the Prime-News agency reported. The United States has dispatched an assessment team comprising agronomists and economists to Georgia. The group s findings are due to be released in the coming weeks.