War in Georgia

On August 7, 2008, the former Soviet republic of Georgia launched a surprise attack on Russian-backed separatists in South Ossetia (a region on Georgia's northern border with Russia). In response, Russian forces entered Georgian territory. Heavy fighting between Georgian, Russian, and separatist forces continued until a French-brokered peace deal was signed a week later. The Georgian government estimates that 230,000 people were displaced by the conflict. Many of the refugees wound up in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, where volunteers have collected their stories. We share some of them with you here: