The Minister Threatened IDPs with Physical Assault in His Office

Color TV-Set and Black-and-White Reality

IDPs have problems almost everywhere and they are constantly “assisted” however this assistance is ineffective because they permanently have problems everywhere. Very often the assistance is not only ineffective but also imaginary and IDPs claim that it is part of PR campaign largely shown on TV. It is not doubtful that internally displaced people feel very insulted by similar treatment. Several IDPs visited the Human Right Center last week. They complained about their living conditions and consequently, we visited the IDPs residing in the former building of Military Headquarters of the South Caucasus.

Bread, macaroni, beans, 600 grams of sugar and 150 grams of salt is the monthly ration of each IDP. We asked the woman in black whether the food was enough for her and she smiled in reply: “600 gram sugar a month means that I should not use more than 50 grams sugar a day. It is not enough but they do not give us more.”

Apart food the IDPs complain about other problems. They are waiting for allowance the government has promised to them and governmental officials speak about it every day on TV. The reality outside the TV-set is black-and-white like a soviet TV-set.

IDPs sheltering at the former building of the military HQ submitted the appeal to the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation. They requested improved living conditions. More precisely, they requested to repair sewerage-system in the building; to provide them with beds, linen and hygiene items (soup, washing powder, etc). The IDPs are waiting for the reply on their latter for more than one month.

“They tell us to come on Monday but on Monday they tell us to come at the end of the week and then on Monday again. We request what was apportioned for us; beds were to be distributed among the IDPs residing in this building; Elena Rukhaia (administrator of collective center) informed us about it. The car loaded with beds really stopped in front of the building 4 months ago and we saw that the driver opened the door to the truck but soon the door was closed and the car drove away with our beds. Since then, we are requesting the beds but nobody replies to us,” said IDP Merab Kasradze. His children sleep on the bed he has made for them. Merab Kasradze made the bed out of broken wardrobe and old door and it is very inconvenient.

After we saw his room, Merab Kasradze led us to the bathroom through dark, half-destroyed corridor. Evidently, it is raining as hard in the building as outside. There are toilets in one part of the corridor and it is impossible to enter there because of broken toilet-pots and sinks. There is terrible smell there. Maybe it is better that there is no light in this part of the building.

At the end of the corridor we saw bathrooms which are used by the IDPs.

The bathrooms are a bit cleaner than toilets but damaged walls show that rain also leaks into this part of the building. The taps are installed in the bathrooms. The IDPs said that the taps were installed 4 months ago and the officials promised them to install water-heating systems too.

“They really brought water-heating equipments and placed them in the basement for some days. Then they came and took them away. Now we are without hot water,” said Merab Kasradze.

IDPs living in the building of the former military HQ suppose that the building is sold out and the government make them live in such unbearable conditions on purpose in order to compel them to leave the place. “They want to make us accept their offers because of such conditions. What can be worse than this; the rain is leaking in our rooms; we do not have proper toilet; you also saw where our children sleep… So, we agreed the government to leave this building and they offered 10 000 USD to pay to each family,” said Nodar Jokhadze. “Initially, we requested 15 000 USD because it is impossible to buy a flat and household itmes for 10 000 USD. We know it but we have no other choice and accepted the offered sum. Now, they say the state cannot pay the promised 10 000 USD either.”

The Minister of Refugees and Accommodation did not welcome the IDPs who arrived at the Ministry to find out the situation. IDP Tamaz Gujejiani said that the Minister was talking with them in a manner of criminal and threatened one of IDPs with physical assault unless he stopped complaining.

About 300 IDPs live in the former building of Military HQ. More attention was paid to them before January 2009 and IDPs received more allowances, were provided with medical assistance and received medicines.

“In Spring our allowances melted together with snow,” said IDPs ironically.

The Human Rights Center applied to the Minister of Refugees and Accommodation to check the information. We wanted to find out what the officials at the Ministry thought about the problems of IDPs; however, the officials did not wish to speak about the beds and water-heating system.