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This information was provided by:
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER OF AZERBAIJAN. Eldar Zeynalov, Director, 33-11, 28th May Str., 370014 Baku, Azerbaijan. Tel/fax (7-99412) 987555. E-mail: [email protected]
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Azerbaijan was the first republic of former USSR that faced the problem of refugees started in 1988. According to the official information, on January 25, 1988 several hundreds ethnic Azeris were forced to leave the city of Kafan in republic of Armenia because of mass anti-Azeris pogroms, which were organized by the Armenian supporters of Armenian separatist movement in Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) of Azerbaijan. Since February of 1988, after start of the mass disorders and separatist demonstrations of Armenians in NKAO, the first forcibly displaced persons (DP) appeared in Azerbaijan. First among them were Azeris from the city of Stepanakert (Khankendi). They were followed by Armenians displaced from the city Sumgait and Shusha. Part of Armenian population of Sumgait was evacuated at that time to Armenia , which started the migration wave from Azerbaijan. In winter of 1988, the eviction of Azeri population from Armenia reached a mass proportion, with deportations organized by local authorities. The peak took place in November-December of 1988. During the next year practically all Azeris left Armenia. Last Azeri village in Armenia (Nuvedy in Megry region of Armenia) was populated by Azeris until spring of 1991. According to the information of Azerbaijan National Committee of Helsinki Citizens' Assembly in 1988-91 more than 211 thousands of Azeris, 11 thousands of Muslim Kurds and 3.5 of thousands Russians have left Armenia and found shelter in Azerbaijan. It is important to note that in 1989 more than 4.5 thousands of refugees (Azeris and some other people of Caucasus ethnic origins) came to Azerbaijan Republic from the city Novy Uzen in Kazakhstan. They were joined by 60 thousands of Meskhetian Turks from Uzbekistan who became victims of the interethnic pogroms. According to the statement of the Chairman of the State Refugees Committee I. Aliev on August 1994 the total number of the refugees from other countries was about 250 thousand people. This information in general is agreed with recently published report of UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which mentioned 230 thousands refugees. In May 1992 the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh from about 56 thousands Azeris was completed by Armenian forces. In the middle of May of 1992 the military activities went beyond the region of former NKAO. It led to creation of DP from the 6 nearest regions (Lachin, Kelbadjar, Agdam, Fizuli, Qubatli, Jebrayil, Zangilan) occupied by Armenian forces. Besides Azeris, DP included a large number of Kurds who lived in Lachin region, partly in Kelbadjar and Qubatli regions. The cease-fire of May 1994 stopped the inflow of the DP. UNHCR published the report on Azerbaijan in according to which there were 778 thousand of DP today. Without any doubt, this number was received from the official sources. For example, the same number (778,554 persons) was noted in February of 1994 by the leading specialist of the Chief Administration for Employment of Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population Mr. A. Mammedov. Other sources, which were closely related to the problem reported somewhat lower number of about 650 thousands of DP. The revisions of the State Committee for Refugees and IDP's data in March of 1995 made known that the official number of refugees was higher than the real number by 82,296 people. By our estimation, the migration of the population of Azerbaijan in 1988-1994 was the following: Emigration from Azerbaijan: - about 300 thousands of Armenian refugees; - more than 200 thousands Russians and Jews. Immigration to Azerbaijan: - 230-250 thousand refugees from Armenia and Central Asia; - no less than 650 thousand of displaced persons; - about 110 thousands repatriates from CIS. The displaced people prefer to live in cities, since it is easier to solve their problems there. In the end of 1994 about 402,735 DP or 61.6% lived in cities and 43.1% lived in four largest cities. From summer of 1993 the building of the tent camps had begun and tendency to the compact settlement of DP had emerged. The reasons for that were following: the end of the dwelling fund (no more empty flats, hotels, guest-houses and health camps), closing of capital city of Baku by the military authorities for unregistered citizens in September of 1993, also the flow of the humanitarian aid which came after several decisions of the UN. To winter 1994/95 about 80 thousands DP were settled in 13,5 thousands tents 47 thousands of them were settled in South group of 8 camps (8,000 tents). From March to July 1994 10 standard settlements were built with 200 houses for 2 families in each one. About 4,000 families (20,000 people) were settled. From September 1994 the realization of the IFRC project was started. According to it 10 such settlements for 20 thousands DP should be built with the help of EC during the 4 months. Also 10,000 houses for DP and refugees were built and put into exploitation paid from republican budget in 1994. The main social problem of DP is unemployment. It less concerns the refugees than DP because 200,000 refugees from Armenia received jobs of the Armenian who left (mainly in service industry and administrative personnel sectors). Different information sources reported that from 303 to 352 thousands of DP are employable. The level of unemployment is from 30.5% to 41.6%. The main reason of the big unemployment of DP is their professional structure. The majority of DP (59.7%) were agricultural workers and have not yet found the works in cities. For example, in Baku people with agricultural background make 59.9% among employable DP and in Sumgait is 47.4%. According to the official information of Chief Employment Administration of Labor and Social Protection Ministry, in February 1994 only 8.7% DP found jobs and less than 1.6% of DP received the unemployment benefits. While 0.3 million of DP have lost the jobs in 1993, only 3,340 of them received the official status of unemployed. The economical condition of Azerbaijan, with decline of the industrial production of 75.2% from January to September 1994 in comparison with the preceding year (88.5% in agricultural production) did not promise much in the labor market. So, in June 1994 about 52.8% named economic difficulties as the reasons for their departure from Azerbaijan to other region of former USSR (the worsening of the economic situation, looking for the best life, no chance of using their abilities). More than half of DP is unemployable: under age (259,816 or 40%), pensioners (86,795 or 13.3%). According to common opinions, expressed in media and in the Parliament of Azerbaijan the state unemployment benefits for the refugees cannot cover their minimal needs. DP have the following income: pensioners (mainly), children, students, unemployed without status - 8,500 manat ($1.89), unemployed with official status - 9,600 manat ($2.13). At the same time the minimal living standard on the end 1994 was 41,180 manat ($9.15). 67.8% of unemployed and 41.2 % of pensioners are unable to pay for medical treatment. It is not an accident that there is a great number of sickness among DP, since they are the most vulnerable part of the population. It is especially related to those living in tent camps. According to the official information of the Hygiene and Epidemic Center of Health Ministry, the death rate of new-born refugees is 6-8 times higher than normal. In Azerbaijan the average death rate is the 25 deaths for 1,000 new-born. Among the refugees this number is 150-200 deaths. Among 111,043 children younger than 5, only 8,300 go to preschool institution. At the same time about 400 children (mainly from families lived in farms) do not go to school. None of the main needs of DP (work, food, public health, education) is being provided adequately by the government of Azerbaijan due to lack of funds. Therefore external humanitarian aid is crucially important. The first foreign humanitarian aid was delivered in the spring of 1991 by the non-governmental organization "Karitas" (Denmark) which send 10 thousands food parcels through the Social-democratic Party of Azerbaijan for the civilians of the Azerbaijan villages of Nagorno-Karabakh blocked by Armenians. However, the considerable foreign humanitarian aid to DP started after Azerbaijan became independent in the end of 1991 and after the republic joined the UN and CSCE in 1992. It became especially visible after four UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993. The first one recognized the fact of the occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the presence of DP. A great impulse to humanitarian aid gave also was given by the resolution on November 22, 1993 "International Aid to the Refugees and DP in Azerbaijan" adopted by the Third Committee of UN General Assembly. Currently, branches of 15 foreign and international humanitarian organizations work in Azerbaijan. The problem of the control for the distribution of humanitarian aid is not solved. It is most effective only in the tent camps and settlements, where DP live compactly and where the concrete organizations are in charge. There were reports about thefts of humanitarian aid. The authorities try to fight the abuses of the humanitarian aid distribution by the strengthening the coordination with different humanitarian organizations. Thus by the decree #383 of the President of Azerbaijan of April 26, 1993 the Republican Commission for International Humanitarian and Technical Assistance was established.