Georgia: Transitioning from status to needs based assistance for IDPS. A poverty and social impact analysis

This report presents to the Government of Georgia (GoG) an analysis of the implications of potential policy changes to IDP assistance. It was prepared in response to a request from the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia (MRA). Specifically the MRA has requested the World Bank’s help in analyzing the social and economic significance of the IDP benefit1 and the potential impacts of its removal.

This report focuses on potential poverty and social impacts of eliminating the IDP benefit. It does not cover analysis of the fiscal burden of the benefit, or specific legal and regulatory steps for making this transition to alternative assistance for IDPs. These are important aspects of the Government’s decision on the program that would require additional investigation.