Conflict researcher Eliko Bendeliani says the government’s GEL 10,000 cash compensation programme for internally displaced people (IDPs) will not address their core needs or ensure decent housing. Speaking on TV programme Analytics, she argued that the amount is insufficient to buy a home and that many recipients will instead use it to cover everyday expenses.
Bendeliani warned that previous compensation schemes left some IDPs without housing support after they spent the money on other needs, while others living in overcrowded accommodation were deemed already resettled and became ineligible for further assistance. She stressed that the state must maintain a consistent policy regardless of changes in government and take responsibility for past decisions.
She said the biggest problem is uncertainty, as displaced families do not know whether or when they will receive housing. “The biggest problem is that people who are tired of waiting sadly no longer believe that their turn will come,” Bendeliani said, adding that the most vulnerable families continue to wait while some others have been resettled.
Applications for the voluntary programme opened on October 19 and will be accepted until November 2. According to the Ministry of Health, eligible IDP families who have not received housing or equivalent financial compensation from the state can apply at Public Service Halls and community centres nationwide. The compensation amounts to GEL 10,000 per displaced family member.
