Gov’t increases IDP and refugee budget to 85m GEL in 2016

The Georgian official responsible for the welfare of the country’s internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees visited the eastern Tetritskaro Municipality to offer new housing to several IDP families.

Yesterday Georgia’s Minister of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees Sozar Subari offered new houses to three internally displaced families, two of which were large with six and seven members respectively. 

Subari was accompanied by Georgia’s Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Tarial Khechikashvili and First Deputy Governor of Kvemo Kartli region Kakhaber Gugeshashvili. 

Earlier the IDP families were given the opportunity to find an appropriate vacant house in any rural area nationwide, and once a suitable home was found, the Government took responsibility for purchasing the property under the framework of the ‘House in a Village’ state program. 

Since 2012, within the program the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees had purchased 510 houses in various parts of rural Georgia for IDP families, 92 of which were located in Kvemo Kartli region in eastern Georgia. 

Georgia’s Prime Minister spoke in detail on this topic at today’s Governmental meeting. 

Since 2012 more than 10,000 IDPs have received new living accommodation. Photo by  prveliradio.ge. 

PM Irakli Garibashvili stressed his Government had put a big emphasis on providing better conditions for the thousands of IDPs. He added the amount of funds allocated from the state budget for these vulnerable people had increased significantly since the Georgian Dream coalition came into power, and would also increase in 2016 too.

Since 2012, 10,400 IDPs had been provided with new living accommodation.

In 2012 the state money allocated for IDPs and refugees was 25 million GEL. For 2016 the sum leaps [by 240 percent] to 85 million GEL,” Garibashvili said, noting the money would be used to build or buy more houses for IDPs. 

The PM also stressed the current state leadership had fulfilled its pre-election promise and legalised the existing accommodation situation for more than 10,400 IDP families, where home ownership was transferred into their names. 

The country’s top official stressed the additional budget funds would ensure his Government could continue to offer greater support to IDPs and refugees in Georgia