Azerbaijan may resettle refugees from dormitories through SOFAZ funds

Following the amendments to the State program to improve living conditions and employment of refugees and IDPs, it will be possible to resettle refugees from the dormitories at the expense of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan  Republic (SOFAZ), Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister and State Committee for Refugees and IDPs Chairman Ali Hasanov  said.

"The state program will be soon amended, as neither the version approved in 2004, nor the amendments introduced in 2007, reflect the need to build settlements to resettle refugees from the dormitories," he said.

It was impossible to direct SOFAZ’s funds to these activities due to this, Hasanov said. However, such a possibility will appear after the adoption of amendments to the state program, he added. The amendments also cover cases related to occupation of apartments by IDPs and owners’ appeal to release them.

The State program on improvement of living conditions and employment of refugees and IDPs approved by the Azerbaijani President’s decree dated July 1, 2004, ensured the resettlement of the subjects of forced migration to new settlements. Under the state program, 1,912 tent camps were completely eliminated. The last tent camp was abolished in December 2007.

Some 3.4 billion manat have been allocated to improve the social conditions of refugees and IDPs in Azerbaijan over the past decade. Of these funds, 2.6 billion manat were allocated from the state (the state budget and SOFAZ's budget) and the remaining 0.8 billion manat were allocated from international organizations. Over this period, the country built 67 modern settlements, 20,000 apartments, 40 kindergartens, two Olympic Complexes and 126 schools.


/Trend/