“Temporary” Problems of IDPs

Giorgi Janelidze, humanrightshouse.org

First in 1991, the former military school building in the territory of Tbilisi Sea was occupied by the former Defense Minister of Georgia Tengiz Kitovani, when he rebelled against that time government. He camped together with his status-canceled Guardia in that building and the Tbilisi Civil War of 1990s started from there. After a while, in1993 IDPs from Abkhazia sheltered the building and still live there though their accommodation was “temporary” shelter.

When entering, internally displaced people found extremely difficult situation in the building – it was damped building, which could not resist even 4-5 magnitude earthquake. Anti-sanitary and hygiene problems additionally complicated their hard life. Zaira Mikadze, an IDP from Abkhazia, cannot call flats to the rooms they live in. The IDPs are afraid to live in the damped building and refuse to register accommodations in it.

Zaira Mikadze, IDP: I have a tiny room and am against registering it as my property. I wanted the government to give some compensation to me with which I will buy a flat but they did not do that. I need 100-120 lari medicines every month; they added payment to our water supply bills and canceled allowances on electricity supply. They should have done it if we had registered the flats. I have fought in the war; I saved my brother from death but he died here. I buried my second brother and son here but cannot take care of their graves because of financial problems. Should not the government take all these circumstances into consideration and pay attention to us?!”

Ekaterine Tkebuchava lives in a tiny, damp room without windows. In winter she covers the door with thick duvet to keep room warm. She has applied to different institutions for help but in vain. “I sent several petitions to the Tamar Kordzaia, majoritarian MP from our district, and asked her to put me on the list of IDPs waiting for flat. I cannot do that without help. But Kordzaia neither met me nor responded to my petition.”

Majoritarian MP from Nadzaladevi district told correspondent from Human Rights Center that she personally visited the former building of military school to hear problems of IDPs. “I remember a woman asked me to help her to be inserted on the list of IDPs waiting for flats; I told her to bring an application to our office and we would meditate her with the Ministry of IDPs. As you inquired about her case, we checked correspondence from Ms. Ekaterine Tkebuchava and she never asked us about the list in her letters. So, we could not do anything in that direction. Ekaterine Tkebuchava has sent three applications to our office last year and we responded to all of them. In her first petition she asked for financial assistance; in the second application she asked for medicines (she was funded with 145 lari) and in the third letter she asked for firewood but the district administration refused to assist her because the budget had expired. I want to clarify that the only legal assistance from my side can be mediation between applicant and the relevant state institution. I cannot take additional measures to address the problems of citizens.”

Zaira Mikadze initially showed her accommodation and photos of her deceased relatives to the monitoring group members from Human Rights House Tbilisi. She spoke about the tragedy of her family: “My grandson and daughter-in-law live in Russia because they could not get flat here. Second son was recently operated on and he lives with me. He is elderly man but cannot get married because he does not have a flat.”

Mamuka Kikutadze is veteran of the Abkhaz war. Before getting state allowance, he has to take some procedures that he cannot afford financially. “We wash linen and dishes in toilet; I do not think it is normal. I have four professions but still cannot work. I wonder will any of public servants live in one room together with his mother like I do?” a middle-aged man asked shyly and left room.

Lawyer from the mobile group of Human Rights House Tbilisi Eka Kobesashvili assessed the situation in the former building of the military school as extremely critical and said the situation can be improved if the state offers alternative accommodation to the IDPs. However, the problem is that state officials do not have communication with IDPs.

The letter received from the Ministry of IDPs from Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees states that only one out of six buildings located in the territory of former military school are demolished. “IDPs live in six buildings nearby the Tbilisi Sea. 80% of them agree to have their accommodations registered. Visual examination showed that only one building needs renovation. Ministry of IDPs and Accommodation will appeal to the Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Expertise Bureau to study the conditions of the building and the Ministry will start renovation activities based on their conclusion. Besides that, the Ministry intends to repair roofs of all buildings and to renovate the water-supply system. We have already announced bid for the renovation of the roofs of four buildings. As for the families, who refuse to have the accommodations registered, they can fill in applications in the frame of long-term accommodation project, after what they will receive flats according to relevant criteria.”

Monitoring group of the Human Rights House Tbilisi visited one of the school buildings located in Temka settlement 4th micro-district, where socially indigent citizens lived in several years ago. The demolished building was renovated and IDPs were settled there in February 2014. Unlike the residents of the former building of the military school, the IDPs living in the former school building, request legalization of their new accommodations.

Darejan Lezhava initially lived in the huts of the former military hospital building in Isani district. She said it was extremely difficult to spend nights there. She received a renovated flat in the school building in Temka settlement in February and she is very grateful for that. “They do not refuse to register the flats but drag out the process. I want to thank to this government because they often come here and check everything; renovation has not finished inside the building and we ask them to finish it too. Besides that, without any documents they claim we have common debt of 12 000 lari on electricity. I want to declare in advance that we are not going to pay this debt.”

There are several rooms in the basement of the building, and water is leaking into it from the upper rooms. Inhabitants have to repair the damaged walls and flats with their own resources but it is above their capabilities.

Eka Kobesashvili said the Ministry settled IDPs into the building without installing electricity meters in it. There are poor conditions in some rooms; builders say they are not obliged to resolve those problems now. Consequently the ministry must timely respond to the problem in order to avoid further complications. 

According to the letter received from the Ministry of IDPs, Accommodation and Refugees, the spaces in the school building will be legalized in near future. “The residential spaces in the former school building of Temka micro-district 4 were already registered as individual flats. The Ministry of Refugees will soon petition to the Ministry of Economy and the legalization issue of IDPs’ flats will be discussed at the nearest session. As for renovation activities, if the water is leaking into the basement because of the poorly done reconstruction, the Ministry will supervise eradication of the problem.” 

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