South-Ossetian authorities report shortage of funds for refugees' settlement

This year, not a single family of temporary migrants or refugees has received a new housing in Tskhinvali. Now, there is no vacant housing for them; while the Committee on Migration Policy of South Ossetia has no funds to build a settlement for refugees.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that as of August 2014, the above committee had 356 refugees (194 families) and 501 forced migrants (209 families) on the waiting list. People, who fled to South Ossetia during the 1991-1993 Georgian-Ossetian conflict and the war in August 2008, have to live in ruined houses and collective dwelling centres in the outskirts of Tskhinvali.

The problems of refugees and forced migrants are addressed by the above committee. Until 2008, it gave them a fixed amount of 250,000 roubles for the purchase of housing. Several times a year, families received foodstuffs and other essentials; and for the winter they were given a truck of firewood. Today, however, they cannot afford such help, the committee said, adding that they had planned to start building a settlements for refugees and forced migrants for 175 houses; however, there are no funds to do it yet.

The committee explains that the living conditions of refugees and forced migrants are very hard: dilapidated houses with leaking roofs and with no connected utilities are coming into greater disrepair year after year.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.