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No Way Out – IDP Couple in the Bureaucratic Deadlock

September 20, 2010

Shorena Latatia

IDP couple from the Kodori Valley, Ludmila Dotsenko and Vitali Khuroshvili, has been living in an abandoned building in Tbilisi for two months already.  In addition to their poverty the ministry of IDPs from the occupied territories, accommodation and refugees of Georgia refused to grant accommodation or any other financial allowance to them after two-year expectation.

Vitali Khuroshvili lived in the house of his friend Omar Aprasidze in the village of Ajhara in Kodori Valley together with his wife since 1998. In 2006, he built his own house nearby which he had to leave during the military operations on August 8 2008.

“On August 10, 2010 we took the commission where we were promised the compensation within 3-4 days. However, we have been living in the abandoned building for two months after we were evicted from the building of the former Russian military base in Tbilisi. We earn our living by selling the bottles found in the street rubbish bins,” said Vitali Khuroshvili.

Ajhara municipal board and local population also confirm that Ludmila Dotsenko and Vitali Khuroshvili lived in Kodori Valley in 1998-2008.

Representative of the ministry of IDPs from the occupied territories, accommodation and refugees Shako Gelbakhiani said that Vitali Khuroshvili “simply lived” in the valley and he does not deserve any compensation or accommodation from the state.

The Human Rights Center found out that the IDP couple was not registered in Ajhara. So, the official of the ministry justifies their decision by the term - “he simply lived “there. However, there are IDPs who were not registered in their residential places at all but their living in concrete territories was confirmed by various sources and they received compensations too.

It is fact that Khuroshvili and his wife have been waiting for the compensation for two years as they were promised by corresponding institutions. Besides that, like other IDPs they also received monthly allowances for IDPs. Vitali Khuroshvili cannot understand what “simply living” means when he had lived in Ajhara for 10 years.

Vitali Khuroshvili: “Governor of the Kodori Valley Lasha Margiani said the ministry has authority to make decision on his problem and he could not interfere in their affairs. However, Shako Gelbakhiani said Margiani has to settle the problem. Deputy Minister Grigol Tughusghi said he had not heard about my problem at all. So, I do not know whom to apply now. The ministry does not want to hear my problem; they do not want to know that I am homeless.”

It is noteworthy that Vitali Khuroshvili has serial epilepsy and he has status of the disabled person. He had the epileptic attack several times recently but because of extreme poverty he cannot take medical treatment.

“Ludmila called the first medical aid several times but can you imagine what will happen if I am taken to hospital?! We hardly cope with our poverty,” complained Vitali Khuroshvili.

“The Guidelines about Internally Displaced People”, more precisely the guideline # 18 states that every internally displaced person has right to request corresponding accommodation from the state. It also requires the government to take all minimal measures to ensure food, water, accommodation and shelter, cloths and first medical aid and sanitary service for IDPs without any discrimination.

We hope, the ministry of IDPs from the occupied territories, accommodation and refugees will resolve the problem of accommodation for the IDPs family in near future.

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