U.S. attaches special attention to refugee, IDPs’ living conditions
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister and the U.S. officials held talks to focus on the problems of the refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Deputy Primer, Chairman of the State Committee for Refugees and IDPs and Head of the Republican Commission on International Humanitarian Aid, Ali Hasanov received U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Azerbaijan Dereck Hogan and the USAID Mission Director Brooke Isham on October 15.
The sides discussed the problems of the persons who became refugees and IDPs as a result of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the improvement of their living conditions.
The bloody war, which flared up in the late 1980s due to Armenia's territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor, left over one million displaced in Nagorno-Karabakh and the regions adjoining it, as well as the regions bordering with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Azerbaijanis who had displaced from their homes as result of the brutal war were forced to live in refugee camps, tents and wagons under very difficult conditions. They are temporarily settled in more than 1,600 settlements across 62 cities and regions of Azerbaijan.
As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.
Hasanov expressed his gratitude for the humanitarian aid rendered to refugees and IDPs, as well as for humanitarian projects realized by the U.S. humanitarian organizations and the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan.
Hogan, for his part, said a special attention is constantly being attached to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the improvement of the living conditions of the refugees and IDPs.
He also praised the rapid economic growth in Azerbaijan, and improvement of the social conditions of refugees and IDPs.
The sides called for further cooperation between Azerbaijan and the U.S. . The meeting also discussed other issues of mutual interest.
Since Azerbaijan's emergence as an independent nation in 1991, the U.S.-Azerbaijan relationship has evolved into a strategic partnership based on mutual interest and common values.
At present, Azerbaijan-U.S. relations are developing rapidly.
The U.S. humanitarian programs in Azerbaijan focus on community development, health and economic opportunities, and support services, including training and business management consultations for vulnerable populations.
Under a new humanitarian initiative, the U.S. Department of State will complete six Small Reconstruction Projects (SRP) in Azerbaijan. These projects are expected to raise the standard of beneficiaries by improving conditions in beneficiary institutions such as schools, clinics, orphanages, and homes for the elderly.
They are also supposed to focus on promoting health services and practices via health reform program. Technical assistance is being provided to the Ministry of Health to develop policy, legal and regulatory, and finance reforms.