IDPs Resettled in Bakurtsikhe Lament on Severe Conditions

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees numerous times stated that the IDPs resettled in the village Bakurtsikhe of Kakheti Region live under good conditions. However, reality tells a different story.

“IDPs state that they lived in terrible conditions before and are pleased now,” – states the press release disseminated by the Ministry on March 3rd.

In the village Bakurtsikhe of the Gurjaani Region, in two buildings of former Professional Technical Institute 35 IDPs displaced as a result of previous war in Abkhazia and a recent August war live, 155 people in sum.

Nina Iaremko, an IDP from Abkhazia: “Water is leaking from the roof right on my bed. The pipe is deranged on the second floor and it rains in my room just like outside. The Minister came on March 3rd. He symbolically lit the gas. I could say nothing. The Ministry people asked me not to say anything and said that they would take care of the problem. I have called them many times but nobody pays any attention. That is why I was going to speak up, but they warned “to shut up” or I would lose what I had.”

IDPs from Abkhazia spent the whole winter without heat. There were pipes of natural gas arranged but no gas was provided. Several days ago they provided gas. But the IDPs have no gas heaters. They use furnace and carry wood from the forest on their back.

“I carry wood on my back at a two km distance. When the men go to forest I go with them, they cut the wood and I bring it home,” – states Nina Iaremko.

In the former building of college water system is also damaged. Water leaks from the pipes and the walls get dumped.

“The wall near the bed is molded. We clean it but it does not help. Everything is wet here. We cannot dry it. We all encircle this one electric heater. This room does not get heated” – noted Anusia Gerliani.

Inga Gerliani, an IDP: “I have three children. We have just one damaged bed. We keep clothes in a big paper box. One of my children sleeps on it. I asked the Ministry officials for help but they restrained. We do not work anywhere and hardly earn the daily bread. At least they give us one used bed.”

Koba Subeliani’s commentary disseminated by the Ministry press service on March 3rd: “This is a village Bakurtsikhe of Gurjaani region. We transferred 35 families of IDPs from different unsafe compact settlements here. The gas was lit today. This place is an individually numerated object and most importantly it will belong to them. The places where they lived did not belong to them. They lived under severe conditions there. Nobody believed they would be well here. But the building has been reconstructed, provided with gas and most importantly it will belong to them. We will continue to support IDPs.”