16:19, 14 December 2013

Problems of temporary housing and unemployment in Spitak remain unsolved

Armenia, Spitak. Panel houses. Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomasfrederick

As stated by Anahit Gyulazyan, the head of the Mayoralty office of the city of Spitak, today, 25 years after the devastating earthquake in Northern Armenia, the city is still facing the unsolved problems of unemployment and temporary housing. According to her story, the authorities have initiated several programmes addressed to victims of the earthquake; however, they are still at different stages of implementation.

By the end of 2012, approximately 4600 residents of Spitak were below the poverty line; and nearly 3000 were in need of housing. The city authorities promised to settle the earthquake victims out of temporary housing by the end of 2013.

For the whole year, housing was provided only to ten families affected by the earthquake, Sargis Markosyan, the Adviser to the Mayor of Spitak, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

December 7 was the 25^th anniversary of the earthquake in Northern Armenia, which killed 25,000 people and injured almost as many. 514,000 people went homeless. The housing problem of the earthquake survivors and unemployment are still on the agenda of city authorities.

Author: Armine Martirosyan

Source: CK correspondent