On August 2, representatives of the Democracy Research Institute arrived in the town of Tskaltubo, where they visited a new IDP settlement on Abkhazeti Street.

According to the legal entity of public law – Agency for IDPs, Ecomigrants and Livelihood Provision - 560 families displaced from Abkhazia received new apartments in 2020-2021. According to the Prime Minister, the above significantly improved the IDPs’ living conditions.

Despite the above, the locals talk about a number of problems. One of the main concerns is related to the condition of the two residential buildings. Residents of buildings Nos. 14 and 16 located on Abkhazeti Street have a problem with water coming down from the ceiling, filling up the basements, which may pose a threat to the building. In addition, the damp walls and ceilings of the building put the health of the building's residents at risk.

According to the IDPs, this problem has existed for a long time. They have contacted the relevant persons several times, but the exact causes of the problem have not been identified so far. The Democracy Research Institute sent a letter[1] to the Agency for IDPs, Ecomigrants and Livelihood Provision on August 9, pointing to the dire situation in the IDP residential buildings and requested the following information: "Does the Agency have a specific plan for the elimination of the problem? "What measures were planned or are being planned? In what time frame will the problem be eliminated?"

According to the Agency's statute, the main goal of its activity is to implement the state policy relating to internally displaced persons, to promote the improvement of their socio-economic conditions and to create sources of livelihood from them.

We have not received a response from the Agency so far.

The Democracy Research Institute calls on the relevant agencies:

• To get interested in the problems of the IDPs living in the buildings located on Abkhazeti Street in Tskaltubo - to study the causes of the problems and to respond appropriately in the near future.

[1] Letter No. 20230908/53 sent by the Democracy Research Institute.