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Refugees in Georgia

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About 272. 000 people were internally displaced from the region of Abkhazia in 1992-1993 ... that IDPs will return to Abkhazia and South Osetia one day. ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Refugees in Georgia


1
Refugees in Georgia
  • To be refugee is very hard. It is always a sad
    story and will be the end of their lives.

2
Demographic Information about Georgia
  • Geography 69.700 sq.km.( 26. 911 sq. miles).
  • Population 5.400.800 ( 68.8 Georgians, 9
    Armenians, 7.4 Russians, 5.1 Azerbaijanis, 3.2
    Ossetians, 1.9 Greeks, and 1.7 Abkhazians).
  • Population density 77.0 per. sq. km.
  • Capital Tbilisi, ( population 1. 225. 000.)
  • Language Georgian ( Iberio-Caucasian language
    family with its own alphabet).
  • Religion Christian majority, mainly Georgian
    Orthodox church.
  • Biggest cities Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi,
    Batumi, Sukhumi.

3
Economical Development
  • During the 90s Georgia has undergone
    de-industrialization and a severe decline in
    agriculture, which has resulted in an increase in
    unemployment and poverty. The unemployment rate
    is about 22 percent nationally and 35 percent in
    urban areas
  • The industrial base is technologically old,
    environmentally damaging and unable to become
    competitive to maintain its market share. In 1998
    only 46 percent of official registered industries
    were operating
  • Government revenue generation is low and weak.
    The tax collection system is poor, generating
    only 10 percent of GDP ( Gross Domestic Product),
    and suffers from rampant corruption.

4
Economical Development 2
  • In 1999 the Government was only able to finance
    37 percent of its own budget with about 40
    percent financed by the Bretton Woods Institution
  • Foreign investments have remained low, as Georgia
    is considered very unstable
  • Georgia has one of the lowest per capita GDPs
    (Gross Domestic Product) among the CIS
    (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries,
    lower than that many developing countries

5
Economical Development 3Agriculture
  • Agriculture accounts for 30 percent of the GDP
    and provides up to 50 percent of the income for
    both rural and urban households
  • Many years of neglecting the irrigation and
    drainage systems have led to water logging,
    salinization, soil erosion and a decline in
    agricultural productivity
  • Many farmers have no access to credit and lack
    technical knowledge for efficient agricultural
    production

6
Economical Development 4
  • The ability of households to purchase food has
    decreased over the years as incomes have declined
    by about 40 percent compared to 1990 levels while
    prices have increased as a result of inflation
  • The ability of households to purchase food has
    negatively affected by major macroeconomic shocks
    and ethnic conflicts
  • By FAO classification, Georgia is a low-income,
    food-deficit country ( LIFDC)

7
Economical Development 5Nutrition
  • Changes in food consumptions patterns have been
    noted, with households shifting away from
    nutritious to less nutritious
  • In 1997, the cost of the minimum monthly food
    basket of about 2.500 calories per person was
    about 102 Lari (US 50) while the average income
    was about 50 Lari ( US 25). About 50 percent of
    the population has incomes below the cost of the
    food basket
  • Levels of chronic malnutrition are above the
    expected incidence of 2-3 percent

8
Economical Development 6Employment
  • There is a growing incident of highly skilled
    personnel having to accept employment far below
    their qualifications and skills
  • A large proportion of women, such as college
    graduates, are not able to find employment and
    have had to work in markets that are considered
    unsafe and sometimes controlled by criminals
  • Older workers are even more disadvantaged as they
    face age discrimination.

9
Social Welfare System
  • The pension system has collapsed as a result of
    the economic decline.
  • The major social safety net for the poor is the
    Social Welfare Program, which provides allowances
    to elderly pensioners, invalids and IDPs
  • The monthly pensions of an average of 12 Lari (US
    6) have become irregular and many elderly people
    have no income to pay for food and/or heat

10
Social Problems
  • Refugees / IDP( Internally Displaced Persons)
  • Street Children
  • Unemployment
  • Low Income Families
  • Orphans
  • Disables

11
Who are IDP ( UN Definition)
  • A person who has been forced to flee or leave
    their home as a result of or in order to avoid
    the effects
  • armed conflict
  • generalized violence, violations of human
    rights
  • natural or human made disasters
  • And who have not crossed an internationally
  • recognized border
  • People are only officially considered
    refugees after they have crossed a border into
    another country. The international community does
    not recognize the status of IDPs and thus they
    are not protected under international refugee
    low. No overall funding exists for IDPs.

12
IDP in Georgia
13
IDPs Problems
  • Poor living conditions ( shelters, public
  • buildings, hotels)
  • Unemployment
  • Psychosocial trauma
  • Deteriorating health
  • Luck of education
  • Social-economic problems

14
Georgian Government Response To The IDP Situation
  • Displaced Persons Act on 28 June 1996, defining
    the status of displaced persons in Georgia and
    offering them legal, economic and social
    safeguards
  • the right to use transport free of charge to
    travel
  • the right to reside in their temporary adobes
    and use communal services free of
  • charge
  • free care at State medical institutions
  • State financial and concomitant assistance
  • Government s policy is based on the assumption
    that IDPs will return to Abkhazia and South
    Osetia one day.
  • No effort to assist these people to integrate
    into local communities.

15
NO PEACE NO WAR
  • Hopelessness, nihilism, lifelessness
  • State Financial Aid is miserable ( 10 per
    month)
  • State medical access is unrealistic
  • No efforts to improve IDPs living conditions
  • A high number of displaced children do not visit
    schools, especially in regions
  • For many displaced children clothing and
    educational materials remain obstacle

16
International Response to the IDP situation
  • International NGOs are providing protection
  • CARE international
  • Human Rights Watch
  • International Committee of the Red Cross
  • International Orthodox Christian Charities
  • International Rescue Committee
  • Norwegian Refugee Council
  • Save the Children
  • UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief)
  • Accion Contra el Hambre
  • Danish Refugee Counsel
  • MSF ( Medeciens sans Frontiers-France )

17
International Projects
  • Establishing small-scale businesses for IDPs and
    local vulnerable people using the tool of
    income-generating activities, i.e. micro credits
    for individuals and groups
  • Establishing community center activities in
    different places where many refugees live
    together in collective centers
  • Training programs, networking and capacity
    building
  • Providing extra-curricular and academic
    activities for IDP children and other vulnerable
    children
  • Providing psychological rehabilitation
  • Facilitating development of national NGOs

18
Local Nongovernmental Organizations
  • Effective partners in providing humanitarian
  • assistance to IDPs
  • Effective partners for developing small and
    medium size enterprise programs
  • Bring the government, donor, and publics
    attention to social issues such as collective
    centers degradation and psychological trauma
  • Integration of IDPs with local population

19
Limitations
  • Little networking with one another
  • Organizations see others as rivals
  • Few local NGOs are able to find alternative
    sources of funding
  • Little networks with Government
  • International donors and national institutions
    are based in Tbilisi while much of the IDP
    problematic takes in the regions
  • National NGOs in the regions have important
    experience and knowledge of the issues but lack
    sustained support
  • Local NGO need more information about Inter.
    Donors

20
Web Sites
  • Global IDP, Basic Facts on Georgia
  • www.idpproject.org
  • About Georgia
  • www.ceroi.net
  • Tbilisi- the Warm Heart of Georgia
  • www.parliament.ge
  • Some Words About Georgia
  • http//members.tripod.com/
  • USAID Internally Displaced Persons
  • http//www.usaid.gov
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