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Kakheti Residents Protest After Natural Disaster

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2021

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Protest duration

April 30 – May 4, 2021

Protest area

Region

Protest field

Social Problems

Protest forms

Demonstration, Picket

Protest cause

Natural Disaster Destroyed Crops in Kakheti

Organisers

Kakheti Population

Main demand

Residents demanded that the government compensate their losses and negotiate with banks to defer loan payments.

Protest target

Local Government

Protest outcome

According to the Head of the Kakheti Regional Administration, the government cannot compensate agricultural damage, and the Municipality Hall can only repair infrastructure damage.

Between April 29 and May 1, 2021, hail, rain, and strong wind damaged dozens of villages across three municipalities in Kakheti — Lagodekhi, Gurjaani, and Kvareli. Part of the harvest was completely destroyed. In Gurjaani municipality, roofs were torn off of around 150 houses.

On the morning of April 30, some of the residents affected by the natural disaster held a protest in the village of Kabal. Protesters accused the local government of negligence. According to the villagers, 12 hours after the disaster, no one had taken interest in their situation.

They briefly blocked the Kvareli–Lagodekhi connecting road. After that, the head of the Kakheti Regional Administration, Irakli Shioshvili, and the mayor of Lagodekhi, Jondo Mdivnishvili, met with the protesters. Shioshvili told the affected residents that the government could not compensate agricultural losses, and that the municipality could only repair infrastructure damage. Irakli Shioshvili said the population needed to get used to crop insurance, and in such cases, insurance companies would reimburse damages.

On May 1, residents of the village Akhalsofeli (Kvareli municipality), who were also affected by the April 30 disaster, held a protest. The affected residents said that their vineyards, wheat fields, orchards, and watermelon patches were destroyed almost 100%. They were left with bank loans that they had taken to cultivate the harvest. Therefore, they demanded that government representatives negotiate with banks to defer their loan payments.

On May 4, residents of the village Baisubani gathered as well. They informed the municipality representatives that they demanded an on-site meeting, but were told in response that it was a weekend, the city hall was not working, and the meeting could not take place.

Media

Protest in Kabali

Protest in Kabali

April 30, 2021. Photo: Giorgi Aladashvili, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.