Head of Humanitarian Affairs for the missing persons and the enclaved, Anna Aristotelous, visited the enclaved Maronites in their occupied villages on Monday and assured the residents of Kormakitis and Karpasia that the Government's aim is to improve their living conditions.

'I have the will to help wherever I can to solve the problems and improve the situation,' Aristotelous told the enclaved Maronites and resettled persons, according to an announcement issued by the Press and Information Office on Tuesday.

During her visit to the occupied villages, Aristotelous met with enclaved and resettled residents. In Kormakitis village there are 42 enclaved and 337 resettled residents, according to the announcement. In Karpasia there are four enclaved residents and another 26 resettled.

Aristotelous focused on food supply issues, among a number of issues that have been detected and listed. She expressed her intention to meet with a dietitian of the Ministry of Health, in order to produce a list of foods that will meet quality and quantity specifications.

She also spoke of the education of enclaved and resettled students in the enclaved villages and noted the Cabinet's decision to reopen the kindergarten and primary school in Kormakitis, the operation of which had been suspended 25 years ago.

The announcement notes that, inter alia, Aristotelous announced that she has prepared a set of proposals for the revision of the humanitarian aid for enclaved and resettled persons, for the expansion and introduction of new incentives for resettles persons, as well as for supporting the creation of a Rehabilitation Center for the elders.

Concluding, Aristotelous underlined that the efforts focus towards solving many interconnected issues and implementing laws that will properly serve the needs of enclaved and resettled persons. During her visit, Aristotelous toured infrastructures and projects that have been implemented in Kormakitis and Karpasia.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Since then, a number of enclaved Greek Cypriots have been living in the northern Turkish occupied areas and a number of others have resettled in Kormakitis and Karpasia villages.

Source: Cyprus News Agency