AFP
August 14, 2008 Thursday 3:11 PM GMT

Armed gunmen held up UN workers in Gori on Thursday and stole their vehicles, a UN official told AFP, adding that the Georgian city on the frontline of the conflict with Russia was not considered safe enough for aid officials to work there.
 

Robert Watkins, UN resident coordinator for Georgia, told AFP two UN-marked cars were taken by "paramilitary" gunmen after security officials doing a safety assessment there were stopped at gunpoint.

The Russian military told the UN that the vehicles had since been recovered and would be returned, he added.

"One of our security officers was sent to Gori to do an assessment if we can send people in and he was stopped by a paramilitary group. A gun was put to his head and he was told to hand over the vehicle," Watkins said.

The security officer was in a convoy of three cars, two of which were taken. The team escaped in the third car. Gunshots were fired but no one was hurt, Watkins said.

"The issue is getting access to give assistance and this hasn't been possible yet," he said. "We will return tomorrow to get a sense of the situation, but more prudently than today."

He added: "But these were security officers so they are already very prudent."

The cars were clearly marked with big bright UN letters in white against a blue background.

When security can be assured, the UN refugee agency will begin distributing aid to residents of Gori and hopefully South Ossetia, the epicentre of fighting in the conflict here, he said.