▁of ▁a ▁few ▁isolated ▁enc la ves ▁ev acu ated ▁by ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁forces ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Russian - bro ker ed ▁ce ase fire ▁accord ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁Since ▁then , ▁some ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 – 6 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Georg ians ▁have ▁sp or ad ically ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁G ali ▁District , ▁but ▁the ▁process ▁was ▁significantly ▁th wart ed ▁by ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁host ilities ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁attempt ▁by ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁gu err illas ▁to ▁recover ▁the ▁area , ▁the ▁Ab kh az ▁forces ▁launched ▁a ▁large ▁swe ep ▁into ▁the ▁district . ▁Despite ▁the ▁criticism ▁from ▁opposition , ▁Edu ard ▁She vard nad ze , ▁President ▁of ▁Georgia , ▁refused ▁to ▁deploy ▁troops ▁against ▁Ab kh az ia . ▁A ▁ce ase fire ▁was ▁negoti ated ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁host ilities ▁resulted ▁in ▁hundreds ▁of ▁cas ual ties ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁and ▁disp la ced ▁an ▁additional ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁– ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Georg ians . ▁Although ▁many ▁families ▁soon ▁came ▁back , ▁the ▁cl ash es ▁left ▁some ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁homes ▁and ▁infrastr ucture , ▁including ▁some ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁recently ▁re h abil itated ▁with ▁international ▁fund ing , ▁in ▁ru ins . ▁The ▁United ▁Nations ▁J oint ▁Ass ess