UNHCR Concerned over IDPs Eviction Process
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 24 Aug.'10 / 15:59

UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on August 24, that "together with the international community" it was "concerned that recent evictions of internally displaced people, living in collective centres and shelters in Tbilisi, have not been undertaken with the necessary transparency or circulation of information."

In July and August police evicted hundreds of IDPs from several state-owned buildings in Tbilisi - the process, which has also been criticized by the Georgian Public Defender. The eviction has also triggered series of protest rallies in Tbilisi by a group of IDPs.

"Nevertheless, UNHCR has continued dialogue with the authorities including its key government counterpart, the Ministry for IDPs from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees and positive progress is being made with them on establishing standard eviction procedures in cases when organized relocation of IDPs may be necessary to provide them with durable housing solutions," UNHCR said.

According to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees, displaced families are offered either financial compensation of USD 10,000 or alternative housing. IDPs say that they were offered accommodation in the rural areas, which was not acceptable for them because of lack of employment opportunities there.

The Public Defender's Office said on August 20 that it had monitored alternative housing offered to IDPs in Patskho-Etseri in Tsalenjikha district, western Georgia, and found that although building was rehabilitated, it was not supplied with gas and electricity 

Internally displaced persons there "are living under harsh social conditions. They do not have food products, medications, household items of primary consumption, and furniture," the Public Defender's Office said.

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