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10,500 REFUGEES PER DONOR

Analysis Materials 16 February 2006 12:05 (UTC +04:00)

On 7 February 2006 the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan hosted a meeting with participation of international humanitarian organizations and donors, which focused on the problems of refugees and IDPs. The vice Premier of the Azerbaijan government, chairman of the State Committee on work with refugees and IDPs Ali Hasanov spoke about the plight of the refugees and IDPs. Despite the measures taken by the government for the resolution of problems of these people, they still need the state care and assistance of the international organizations.

In difference to the international humanitarian assistance, the government has increased its aid to the resolution of social problems of internally displaces people 50-120 times over the past 10 years.

The government of Azerbaijan spent $153 million in 2005 for the needs of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). $60 million from this amount has been allocated by the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAR), $10 million by the State Oil Company (SOCAR), the rest part by the state budget. International institutions donated about $30 million for these purposes last year.

If to compare the figures with 1994, then they comprised $2m and $76m respectively.

The funds have been sent for implementation of various programs and projects, related to the building of villages for the Azerbaijan IDPs, developing infrastructure there, providing various social aid to the people from this category. 140,000 refugees and IDPs have been provided in 2005 the food aid, the head of the State committee said. During this period 13 villages for 3860 houses, 15 schools, 5 kindergartens, 10 medical objects have been constructed, the road stretching for 114 km, 140 km water pipeline and etc. have been laid. 25,000 of them have been provided with jobs.

As we see the government increases the financial aid to the refugees and IDPs year by year in an effort to strengthen the care of them. The government of Azerbaijan keeps the problems of refugees and IDPs in the focus of its constant attention, each year enhancing its care of them. However, it is not sufficient for resolving the problems of all these people. They will need humanitarian aid till their complete returning to their homelands, Hasanov said.

This category of people lost not only their native lands, but also traditional circle of relations independence, former social status, traditional living, opportunities for realization of traditions and customs. They are fully deprived of opportunities of election, imposed to all restrictions, which provides to include them to the category pf poor. The poverty level among the Azerbaijan refugees and IDPs is today 57%, while throughout Azerbaijan this figure is 27-29%. Therefore, the government calls on the international organizations not to crease humanitarian assistance to refugees and IDPs till the resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijani conflict.

Over the past 13 years the international organizations rendered $690m in assistance to refugees and IDPs. At present there are 72 international humanitarian organizations and 23 national NGOs (including the non-bank credit organizations), which are involved in the problems of refugees and IDPs. The projects implemented over the past few years by the organizations are mainly directed at development and are usually designed by the organizations themselves. There are conditions for free and transparent activities of the organizations in Azerbaijan. Thus, in accordance with the decree of the Milli Majlis [parliament], dated 3 December 2004, some changes and supplements were injected to the law on Social Insurance, which frees the international and local humanitarian organizations and institutes from payment of state obligatory social insurance fees, remitted to the wage fund at the expense of humanitarian programs financed by donors.

As the statistics testify, the amount of financial assistance rendered by the humanitarian organizations are declined to drop. The financing on some programs decreased 40-50%. The new hot points and new conflict actually distracts the donors attention. The international humanitarian organizations leave the country.

In 1999, on the base of an appeal by the Present to the headquarters of the UN World Food Program, the term of activities of the organization was prolonged in Azerbaijan by late 2005. However, the UN WFP ceased temporarily the assistance to the Azerbaijani and Armenian refugees and IDPs last year. The financial shortages were linked with lack of necessary donations to the UN. The UN WFP envisages food assistance to 135,000 Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs a month. The number of beneficiaries of free food aid has dropped considerably over the past period.

Thus, the food and non-food assistance rendered to refugees and IDPs has fallen considerably over the past year. At present only 30% of all refugees and IDPs are supplied monthly food assistance. In 2001 the international humanitarian organizations creased food assistance to 214,000 IDPs.

It is linked with increase of the financial aid by the Azerbaijani government at the expense of financial independence thanks to funds accumulated as a result of high world oil prices.

Special attention will be given to the preparation of the global program "Repatriation" supposing clearing of the occupied territories from mines, creation of social - technical infrastructure, realization of new economic programs. The government has set up consultations with some international organizations, in particular, the World Bank, UNDP and is ready for cooperation with otter donor-countries,

In 2006, in the budget of the country, for needs of this category of the population it is allocated 210 million US dollars, and the international and local organizations will render assistance for the sum of 30 million dollars. Ali Hasanov has defined priorities of the government in this sphere - they are opening of new jobs, realization of projects in the field of micro-crediting, education and public health services, development of civil society, carrying out of regenerative works in territories earlier occupied by the Armenian invaders, rendering assistance to the refugees who have arrived in Azerbaijan from the third countries.

It is important to direct the funds on social projects, as the refugees acknowledge that they do not want to live newly build settlements due to absence of infrastructure facilities, in particular, drug stores, schools, etc.

Upon resolution of the technical issue it is possible in two years to imagine these people not residing in camps, carriages, unfinished buildings and stadiums in anti-sanitary conditions. However, for the time being this group of people remains to be the most vulnerable category, who need special attention.

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