UNHCR states support to Azerbaijan
UNHCR`s Assistant High Commissioner for Operations George William OkothObbo made an official visit to Azerbaijan.
The aim of the two-day visit was to inspect the activity of the UNHCR office in Azerbaijan and the government`s work to address social problems of the refugees, IDPs and asylum seekers.
During the visit, Okoth-Obbo met with Ali Hasanov, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs on November 29.
Hasanov, referring to the meeting of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), noted that this structure has always been of great assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons in the country.
Reminiscent of the visit to Geneva, the meeting with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi, Hasanov underlined the fruitful cooperation between the Government of Azerbaijan and UNHCR.
At the meeting, the chairman of the committee informed the guests in detail about the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He said that for 25 years 20 percent of the Azerbaijani lands have been occupied by the Armenian armed forces, as a result of the conflict more than a million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons.
“This conflict has always been the number one problem for Azerbaijan, and it still remains our main problem. 26 years ago Azerbaijan restored its independence. We can say that in the years of independence all other problems in the country have found a solution,” Hasanov said.
Noting that the OSCE Minsk Group dealing with the settlement of the conflict did not achieve any progress, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the four resolutions of the UN Security Council, as well as the documents adopted by the OSCE, PACE and other influential organizations, remain on paper.
Hasanov noted that the activities of the Azerbaijani government aimed at improving the living conditions of refugees and IDPs are also good examples for the countries of the world.
He also noted that over the past 25 years, Azerbaijan spent 6.6 billion manats ($3.8 million) to solve the problems of refugees and IDPs. At the expense of funds allocated from the Oil Fund, some 97 settlements were built, housing and living conditions of 50,000 families of refugees and internally displaced persons were improved.
These villages are provided with all necessary infrastructure. The 97th settlement was opened in Terter region of the country on November 28. Some 34 high-rise buildings were erected there, a school for 1,200 places, a kindergarten for 280 places, a music school, cultural facilities, public health services, a post office have been built, he said.
Noting that he is visiting Azerbaijan for the first time, Okoth-Obbo conveyed the greetings of the High Commissioner Filippo Grandi.
“Filippo Grandi instructed me to tell you that the UNHCR supports Azerbaijan,” he said.
Okoth-Obbo stressed that he highly appreciates the work carried out in Azerbaijan to improve the living conditions of refugees and internally displaced persons. He noted that the Azerbaijani government took the lead in eliminating the problem of refugees and IDPs in the country. A clear testimony to this is the opening of the 97th settlement in Terter. He said that the purpose of his visit is to support Azerbaijan in this humanitarian issue.
After the meeting, the delegation accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and Forced Migrants Fuad Huseynov and Head of the Executive Power of Zangilan region Ramiz Hasanov met with IDPs located in Masazir village of Absheron region, got acquainted with the conditions of their life.
Over one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) as a result of Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories in early 1990s. As a result of the Armenian occupation, one in every eight persons in Azerbaijan has been compelled to live as a refugee and internally displaced person.
The refugees are temporarily settled in 62 cities and regions of Azerbaijan in more than 1,600 settlements.
Those Azerbaijanis who were displaced from their homes as a result of the brutal war had to live in refugee camps, tents and wagons, in very difficult conditions.
Significant resources has devoted to IDPs’ problems over the past two decades. The government made the refugee and IDP problem its high priority and prepared numerous projects and programs in order to improve the living conditions of the refugees. The people who held refugee status were granted compensations and benefits.