First residents return to Khojaly’s Dashbulag village under "Great Return" plan

The relocation of internally displaced persons to Dashbulag village in the Khojaly district began on September 13 as part of Azerbaijan’s ongoing “Great Return” initiative.

In the first phase of the resettlement process, 13 families — a total of 67 individuals — were moved to the village, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The relocated families had been living in temporary accommodations across the country, including dormitories, sanatoriums, and various administrative buildings.

Earlier in the day, the first group of returnees, comprising nine families, or 31 individuals, relocated to the village Seyidbayli in the country’s Khojaly district.

Azerbaijan's Great Return program, launched in 2022, aims to resettle approximately 140,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) by 2026 in territories liberated during the 2020 Karabakh war.

The initiative encompasses the reconstruction of 100 settlements, including the development of housing, schools, hospitals, and utility networks, with over $4.6 billion allocated between 2020 and 2023 and projections of $17.6 billion by 2030.

The second phase of the Great Return, scheduled for 2026 -2040, aims to achieve the comprehensive restoration and reintegration of all liberated territories.

By Sabina Mammadli