ReliefWeb (press release)
June 14 2009
Armenia/Azerbaijan: UNHCR warns of jobless despair
Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR)
Date: 12 Jun 2009
Special Report: Karabakh Refugees
Senior aid official says international community needs to improve
skills of those displaced by war to improve their employment
prospects.
By IWPR staff (CRS No. 497, 12-June-09)
The United Nations’ new representative for refugees in Azerbaijan has
warned international donors that people still displaced by the Nagorny
Karabakh conflict may lapse into despair if they do not receive more
help in finding work.
The Karabakh conflict, which ended with a ceasefire 15 years ago,
uprooted at least 800,000 Azeris and 500,000 Armenians. Most of the
former fled to Azerbaijan while a majority of the latter escaped to
Armenia with a minority settling in Karabakh itself. Azerbaijan and
Armenia still have no diplomatic ties, while Karabakh itself is ruled
by Armenians who have declared their own state.
"The challenge for the [displaced] is the anxiety and strong desire to
go back to their places of origin. Among them, especially the most
vulnerable, [are those who] need support and skills to engage
themselves in gainful employment while living in settlements waiting
for their return," Arun Sala-Ngarm, the resident representative of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR, told IWPR. "If
people sit in their house doing very little, they become frustrated
and agitated."
He warned that those displaced by the fighting might lapse into
despair if the international community does not help to improve their
job prospects.
UNHCR in Azerbaijan distributes humanitarian support to 60,000
refugees in rural areas, and also runs legal clinics to make sure all
those displaced by the fighting know their rights. Assistance is only
provided to those Azeris displaced from Karabakh itself, and from the
territory around Karabakh which is occupied by Armenians. Azeris who
fled Armenia are now considered the same as normal citizens of
Azerbaijan.
"They have been naturalised and have fully integrated in
Azerbaijan. [But] for the [displaced] from Nagorny Karabakh, it is
clear that they have the right to return to their places of the origin
with safety and dignity," said Sala-Ngarm.
Tentative moves towards a political solution to the frozen conflict
have repeatedly come to naught. Armenia still occupies 14 per cent of
Azerbaijan’s territory, and shots are still regularly exchanged over
the line of control. Nevertheless, Sala-Ngarm said UNHCR would be
ready to help the displaced civilians to go home when a final peace
deal was signed.
"People were forced out of their homes against their will. They have
the right to voluntarily return to their homes when the opportunity
arises," he said.
"Whenever political solutions are found, UNHCR, with its experience
and expertise, stands ready to work closely with the government and
all stakeholders to facilitate their voluntary return."
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress