Refugee settlements have been abandoned by the government
Statement by Skevi Koukouma, AKEL MP, after the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees
AKEL C.C. Press Office, 16th March 2021, Nicosia
We discussed again in the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees-Enclaved-Missing-Adversely Affected Persons the problems that exist in the refugee settlements (Note: the refugees as a result of the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of 40% of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, around one third of the then population). We concluded once again the Government’s failure to present and provide solutions to the problems faced by the displaced people living in government refugee settlements.
According to the data provided by the representatives of the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, out of the 359 apartment buildings for which a study of their static adequacy was conducted, 42% appear to be in a moderate condition, while 12% which concerns 43 apartment buildings have been deemed unrepairable.
Unfortunately, for more than two years the Ministry of Interior has been making the same findings, citing precisely the same numbers without being able to give any answers either to the Parliamentary Committee on Refugees or to the displaced persons themselves. For two years now, we have been trying to put pressure on the Ministry of Interior to realise the urgency of the situation.
We do not claim that in the past there were no problems in government refugee settlements. What we are saying is that in the past there was a constant effort to upgrade, maintain and focus on supporting refugees. More specifically, through data submitted by the Department of Urban Planning and Housing, it appears that in 2010 approximately € 24 million were budgeted and absorbed for reconstruction projects, while the corresponding budget for 2020 concerns € 1.7 million. For maintenance and repairs in 2010 € 12 million were absorbed, while in 2020 just € 1.3 million.
This shows the unacceptable abandonment of the refugee settlements and the way the government and DISY are mocking our refugees, provoking once again their frustration and anger.
