Azerbaijan has made great efforts to ensure a worthy life for internally displaced persons (IDPs), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said at a meeting with Chairman of State Committee for Refugees and IDPs of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov. "Over the past five years since my last visit to Azerbaijan, a lot of work have been done in the country to ensure housing, health, education of refugees and IDPs," said Guterres.
And it is an objective assessment of the international community. Thus, the Azerbaijani government has invested 1.5 billion manat in improving the social situation of refugees and IDPs for 5 years. Hasanov said thar so far Azerbaijan has implemented three State programs to improve the social situation of refugees and IDPs.
"The first program was adopted in 2004 and fully implemented [as a result, 12 tent camps had been eliminated, the last camp was abolished in December 2007], the second program - in 2007 and was implemented at 80 percent and the third program was approved by the President on February 21, 2011. Each program provides 500 million manat for activities on improving the social situation of refugees and IDPs," Hasanov said.
Particularly, in 2011 approximately 190 million manat was allocated from the state budget, of which 90 million will be provided for 15 manat bread each month per capita. The remaining funds, taking into account the salaries of employees of the State Committee, will be spent communal services for refugees and IDPs. The State Oil Fund has allocated 110 million manat and 20 million manat will account for international organizations.
A total of 684 manat was spent on each IDP last year. In 2003 this figure amounted to 121 manat, that is, in recent years, the funds have increased by 5-6 times. It is the highest figure in the world conflict zones. Azerbaijan considers the problem of refugees and IDPs in the country the number one problem.
Hasanov said the problem of refugees and IDPs is a priority and the problem number one in Azerbaijan, as it was 19 years ago.
"This is the most serious problem in Azerbaijan, which still exists today, because people have been living as IDPs for 19 years, and as refugees for 20 years. Although the country's leadership has taken and continues to take steps to resolve the problem, the problem still remains unresolved because of the fault of some international organizations, particularly the OSCE, as well as the indifferent attitude of other international organizations and states, and our people continue to live as refugees and IDPs," said Hasanov.
As known, there are one million refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan caused by the aggression of Armenia.
Since 1993, about 3.7 billion manat has been spent on the needs of refugees and IDPs. According to the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs, of this amount, 2.1 billion manat accounts for state budget, 860 million manat - State Oil Fund, 740 million manat -international humanitarian organizations.
So far 67 modern settlements have been built at the expense of these funds, where 100,000 refugees and IDPs have been settled at 20,000 apartments. All these settlements have been equipped with social and technical infrastructure. Thus, 126 schools, 40 kindergartens, 4 music schools, 45 medical institutions and others have been built, 600 km asphalt, 700 km water pipeline, 1,100 km electric lines have been laid in these settlements.
The new state program to improve living conditions and employment of refugees and IDPs include:
- Resettlement from dormitories to Masazir settlement of Absheron district;
- Construction of buildings in Geranboy district for those settled in Naftalan district;
- Resettlement of refugees from the apartments formerly "seized" by refugees and IDPs in Baku, Sumgait and providing them with new housing;
- Resettlement from building of ambulance in Baku, which is inhabited by 736 families of refugees and IDPs and more than 100 families of the local population;
- Construction of settlement in Agdjabedi district for IDPs from the Lachin district;
- Construction of settlement in Goygol district for IDPs from Khojaly and Kelbajar district;
- Resettlement of refugees and IDPs who have settled in the dormitories.
Multi-storey houses for refugees are under construction this year. At present, nine houses are under construction in the Goranboy region," he said. "This year it will be commissioned. Refugees were resettled from two Naftalan resorts. Other buildings will be also emptied. 9-10-storey buildings are planned to be built in Mingachevir.
Roughly 500 houses will be commissioned in the Takhta Korpu area in the Agjabadi region for IDPs from the Lachin region.
The IDPs are being evicted from illegally occupied apartments. The number of these apartments hits 3,000. This process has already begun. IDPs were evicted from 20 apartments. These apartments were returned to their rightful owners. This process will continue.
The two storey buildings will be demolished in the Builders settlement in Sumgait. New buildings will be built there.
These buildings were once temporarily constructed for the people who built the city of Sumgait," he said. "People live there for more than 50 years. The buildings are in the complete physical unfitness. The Sumgait Executive Power proposes to demolish these buildings and construct new ones. This settlement will be called 'New Sumgait.'
Homes are expected to be built for IDPs currently living in the Baku State University's two dormitories on Metbuat Avenue. The territory of Masazir in Absheron district was allotted for the resettlement of IDPs from Baku's dormitories.
According to statistics from the State Committee on Refugees and IDPs, currently 54,000 families or 217,000 people - refugees and IDPs, have have settled in 1,037 facilities in Baku. About 15,000 families or 48,000 persons have settled in 262 dormitories in Baku. Other 20,000 families have settled at 364 public buildings, 4,300 families at 74 guest houses, 720 families at 46 schools, 1,400 families at 136 kindergartens. 780 families have settled in military units in the suburbs of Baku.
The houses and flats provided by the state to IDPs are temporary houses and are owned by the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs. These houses and flats are not the property of IDPs, they are provided as temporary residence, and the IDPs do not have the right to sell, modify, rebuild this residence.
But for most of them, returning to their native lands, finding peace in their homelands is a great wound in their hearts. Knowingly refugees and IDPs are in the ranks of the disadvantaged and vulnerable society. They need help, and even it is more important to remind the world about the problems of citizens who were forced to flee their homes.
The Government, together with international financial institutions, UN agencies, international humanitarian organizations, has prepared the program "Great return". The program cost is estimated at about $60 billion. It includes not only social projects, but also a program aimed at the development, rehabilitation, recovery of skills of IDPs.