ABSTRACT
Zugdidi region was the focus of considerable international humanitarian aid in the early 1990s, but the interest of most international NGOs has-with continuing political instability-subsequently waned and they frequently handed over activities to national NGOs. Recurrent themes in framing support to such agencies are the initial lack of awareness, at times denial of the psychosocial needs of workers, the resulting lack of skills to address such needs, and the limited organizational capacity to cope with such challenges. The four key levels at which Antares works are: provision of field consultations to individuals; staff training and support; organizational support and development; and inter-agency networking and support. A better functioning humanitarian worker is the aim of all involved: fieldworkers, their organizations, and their beneficiaries. Local NGOs, given their limited institutional capacity, are likely to find addressing such needs most difficult, although their staff may be particularly vulnerable.
