First phase of resettlement in Azerbaijan's Aghdam set for November, official confirms

The first official resettlement of families to the newly reconstructed city of Aghdam is scheduled to take place in November 2025, marking a significant milestone in Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction and repatriation efforts.

The announcement was made by Emin Huseynov, the Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for the Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavand districts, during a briefing, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

According to Huseynov, the initial phase of resettlement will see 110 families return to Aghdam—one of the most heavily damaged cities during the nearly three-decade-long occupation.

“At present, a list of families to be resettled is being compiled in cooperation with the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons,” Huseynov stated.

Azerbaijan has launched an extensive reconstruction and resettlement initiative in the Aghdam district, a region heavily affected by the 2020 Karabakh conflict. This effort is part of the broader state-led “Great Return” program, designed to restore liberated territories and facilitate the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The reconstruction of Aghdam is proceeding in phases. The first phase, inaugurated in the village of Sarijali on March 27, 2025, saw President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva hand over keys to newly resettled families. Key infrastructure projects include the restoration of the Aghdam Juma Mosque, the development of the Aghdam Industrial Park, and the rebuilding of transport and urban facilities, all aimed at reviving economic activity and supporting sustainable livelihoods for returnees.

Launched in 2022, the “Great Return” program plans to resettle approximately 140,000 IDPs across 100 settlements in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions by 2026. The initiative combines housing construction, infrastructure restoration, and economic reintegration, with over $2.8 billion allocated for reconstruction in 2024 and an additional $9.4 billion planned for 2026–2029.

While challenges such as demining, infrastructure rebuilding, and providing social support to returnees remain, the program represents a long-term strategy for post-conflict recovery. It has attracted international attention as a model for large-scale rehabilitation and the reintegration of displaced populations.

By Vafa Guliyeva