Great Return: 83 more Azerbaijani families off to revitalised Aghdam PHOTO

As part of Azerbaijan’s Great Return program, another group of former internally displaced persons, totalling 308, has departed for the city of Aghdam, a local outlet reports.

The group consists of 83 families who had previously been temporarily housed in various regions across the country, mainly in dormitories, sanatoriums, and administrative buildings.  

The Great Return is a major state initiative launched by the government of Azerbaijan to resettle former internally displaced persons (IDPs) in territories liberated after the Second Karabakh War in 2020.

The program's key objectives include resettling 140,000 people (around 34,500 families) by the end of 2026 in the first phase, rebuilding infrastructure, homes, schools, hospitals, and establishing “smart villages” and cities with modern amenities, conducting extensive demining to ensure safety, and creating jobs while fostering sustainable communities in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic zones.

By Khagan Isayev