Gov't fully undertaking aid to IDPs
The United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) will halt assistance
to Azerbaijani refugees that started 15 years ago. The government
will fully undertake the task of providing food aid to the persons
displaced by the Upper (Nagorno) Garabagh conflict with Armenia
since June 30.
The world's largest humanitarian agency has provided some 450,000 refugees with food since it launched operation in the country in 1993. Afterwards, the government undertook the task of providing part of the assistance.
Head of the State Committee for Refugees and Displaced Persons, Ali Hasanov, says that the WFP currently provides aid to only 75,000 refugees, while the rest of them receive it from the Azerbaijani government.
WFP representative in Azerbaijan Lynne Miller earlier warned that the food crisis expected worldwide would affect the country as well.
Hasanov agreed that the shortage of food in world markets was a problem for Azerbaijan. He noted, however, that since the government has assumed responsibility for providing food aid to the displaced population according to a relevant presidential decree, the rising prices and food shortage would not take a toll on the assistance provided to IDPs in the country.
165,000 tons of various foodstuffs worth $115 million have been distributed among Azerbaijani IDPs and low-income citizens under WFP. Nonetheless, displaced persons continue to face problems with food. For instance, some of them are unable to receive it every other month. Moreover, the local Economic Research Center's relevant project has revealed other facts. The organization's expert Rauf Gasymov says one of the causes of discontent from IDPs is some foods' being unfit for consumption, in particular, rice and flour. "At times, there is no choice other than feeding it to the chickens."
Azerbaijani refugees are currently receiving five to six types of food. This includes monthly assistance of 5 kg of flour, a liter of vegetable oil and a kilogram of rice, as well as the same volume of peas, salt and sugar.
11 million manats ($13.2 million) were allocated from the state budget for food assistance to IDPs in 2008. In total, state assistance to the displaced population this year covering a variety of costs including utilities and phone fees amounts to some 150 million manats ($180 million).
The world's largest humanitarian agency has provided some 450,000 refugees with food since it launched operation in the country in 1993. Afterwards, the government undertook the task of providing part of the assistance.
Head of the State Committee for Refugees and Displaced Persons, Ali Hasanov, says that the WFP currently provides aid to only 75,000 refugees, while the rest of them receive it from the Azerbaijani government.
WFP representative in Azerbaijan Lynne Miller earlier warned that the food crisis expected worldwide would affect the country as well.
Hasanov agreed that the shortage of food in world markets was a problem for Azerbaijan. He noted, however, that since the government has assumed responsibility for providing food aid to the displaced population according to a relevant presidential decree, the rising prices and food shortage would not take a toll on the assistance provided to IDPs in the country.
165,000 tons of various foodstuffs worth $115 million have been distributed among Azerbaijani IDPs and low-income citizens under WFP. Nonetheless, displaced persons continue to face problems with food. For instance, some of them are unable to receive it every other month. Moreover, the local Economic Research Center's relevant project has revealed other facts. The organization's expert Rauf Gasymov says one of the causes of discontent from IDPs is some foods' being unfit for consumption, in particular, rice and flour. "At times, there is no choice other than feeding it to the chickens."
Azerbaijani refugees are currently receiving five to six types of food. This includes monthly assistance of 5 kg of flour, a liter of vegetable oil and a kilogram of rice, as well as the same volume of peas, salt and sugar.
11 million manats ($13.2 million) were allocated from the state budget for food assistance to IDPs in 2008. In total, state assistance to the displaced population this year covering a variety of costs including utilities and phone fees amounts to some 150 million manats ($180 million).
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