The United Nations called on international donors on Monday to provide US$58.6 million to help victims affected by the recent conflict in Georgia.

Russian troops and armored vehicles pull out from the city of Gori, Georgia, August 18, 2008. It was reported earlier that Russian forces had started to withdraw from Tskhinvali, capital of Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, toward the Russian region of North Ossetia.

The funding will be used to meet the needs for the next six months of almost 130,000 people, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement.

"I hope the international community will show itself fully ready, capable and willing to help provide critically-needed assistance to the people of Georgia," said Catherine Bragg, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator.

According to OCHA, donors have already pledged US$23 million towards the appeal, which will support the aid efforts of nine UN agencies and 16 nongovernmental and international organizations.

Food, health and nutrition, protection, shelter and non-food items, as well as water, sanitation and hygiene are among the most urgent needs for the victims of the conflict, which began over a week ago when heavy fighting broke out in South Ossetia between Georgian and South Ossetian forces.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)