New beginning: 49 families reclaim their homes in Jabrayil after 30 years

A new group of former internally displaced persons (IDPs) has returned to the newly rebuilt town of Jabrayil. Today, December 25, 49 families, totalling 253 people, left their temporary accommodations in Baku’s Garadagh district and began their journey back to their homeland. 

These families had been living in hostels, sanatoriums, children’s camps, and unfinished buildings scattered across various districts of Azerbaijan, Caliber.Az reports referring to local media.

With this latest move, a total of 287 families (1,169 individuals) will now have permanent homes in Jabrayil city.

This return is made possible thanks to the decisive victory of the Azerbaijani army in the 2020 Patriotic War, led by President Ilham Aliyev, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. After 30 years of displacement, these families can now return to their ancestral land voluntarily, safely, and with dignity.

Jabrayil’s returning residents expressed their deep gratitude to President Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva for their unwavering support and attention to their needs. They also thanked the Azerbaijani Armed Forces for liberating their land from occupation and paid tribute to the martyrs who gave their lives for this noble cause.

Currently, about 30,000 people, including former IDPs and those involved in rebuilding efforts, live in Karabakh and East Zangezur. This includes local government employees, healthcare workers, educators, and others who are helping restore essential services and infrastructure.

Since reclaiming the territories, the Azerbaijani government has launched an ambitious reconstruction program, rebuilding roads, schools, hospitals, and other vital infrastructure. The "Great Return" program, which officially began in 2022, aims to facilitate the resettlement of displaced people. Following the consolidation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty over Karabakh in September 2023, the program has accelerated.

The first phase of the program, set to resettle 140,000 people across 100 reconstructed settlements in Karabakh and East Zangezur, is slated for completion by 2026. A second phase will continue the resettlement process, with the full restoration of all liberated territories expected by 2040.