Tbilisi Earthquake Victims Waiting for Assistance
Uncoordinated Activity of Structures Delays Assistance
April 25 earthquake in Georgian capital Tbilisi rendered many people homeless. Tbilisi municipality created a special assistance fund for the earthquake victims, which would have accumulated state funds and private donations for purchasing and distributing homes for the victims. But due to uncoordinated activities of the state and private structures, the assistance is being delayed.
At present Tbilisi municipal fund is processing statistical information and creating a data bank. As Manana Kutateladze, fund’s representative, told the Civil Georgia, biggest problem is to define exact number of victims. According to various sources the number is in between 15 and 20 thousands.
Another major problem is assessment of the level of damage. The fund informs that this process is also quite chaotic. Gldani district of Tbilisi would be a good example: primary information was that there were up to 15,000 objects of category 3 (or most heavily damaged), but after inspection the number decreased as low as to 435. Fund’s experts estimate that total number of objects in this category will not exceed 2,500. But counting of the objects with first and second level of damage has not started yet.
At present there are 2 million Lari (approximately USD 900,000) on the fund’s accounts, which means that each family will receive assistance approximately worth of 10,000 Lari. Only 46 apartments were purchased by the fund so far. Municipality hopes that raised money will be enough to purchase 400 apartments. The apartments will go to the families that were damaged most of all by the earthquake and now have to live in the buildings of various research institutes.
Besides the municipal fund, there are two other as well: one created by Kartu Bank and another – by the New Rights political party. But situation here is also unclear. Kartu Bank has submitted to the fund the list of 100 families, to which they have provided assistance in amount of 10,000 Lari. The New Rights have not presented their list despite numerous requests. The municipal fund says that the apartments will be distributed after completion of statistical studies.
Despite all efforts of the municipal and private funds, certain part of the citizens is dissatisfied with their activities. One of them says that she was requested to give in her 3-room house and a garden for a new 1- room apartment. “This is very unfair,” says upset 43-year-old Marika.
At the same time many talks about corruption within the city and district municipalities. One citizen, who preferred to keep his name undisclosed, said that he was offered immediate acquiring of an apartment in return of certain ‘monetary reimbursement’. “I had no other choice but to pay them. Otherwise I would have waited for eternity,” one of the victims of the earthquake told to the Civil Georgia.
The municipal fund also admits existence of corruption. Kutateladze says that it is “very regretful that corruption has occurred in this particular case”. She says that certain people in city and district municipalities give the victims fake documents in change of bribes and promise rapid providing with an apartment. The fund representative said that only the municipal fund has an authority to manage money on its accounts and distribute the apartments.
Kutateladze says that many have appeared who look for easy money on expense of the victims and the municipal fund. Quite often owners of a 20 square meter apartment claim that before the earthquake 19 people have lived there. By this they try to get bigger living space.
A special 11-member commission, which includes representatives of the non-governmental organizations, was set up to ensure transparency of the process. The commission will be monitoring distribution of the apartments.
The municipality plans to satisfy owners of most damaged houses by autumn. Fund’s experts estimate creation of the database and allocation of the donated funds to end before September.
By Revaz Bakhtadze, Civil Georgia
