Armenia: Emergency Response & Recovery

Recent developments have transformed Armenia from a primarily emigration country to one that plays an increasing role as a country of transit and immigration. With an estimated third of the country’s population living abroad, emigration numbers remain high. However, several factors have made Armenia a destination country for displaced populations from neighbouring countries, not to mention asylum seekers and people from further afield.

The ICMPD-funded “Reinforcement of the Migration Management System in the Republic of Armenia” project aims to counter irregular migration to EU member states by ensuring the successful integration of returnees and foreign nationals in the Republic of Armenia. The project supports the development and improvement of migration and integration policies. Additionally, the project strengthens the capacities of the relevant government agencies responsible for managing the inward migration to Armenia and local CSOs providing services to different migrant groups.

Within the project, we closely cooperate with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Migration and Citizenship Service of Armenia, the Office of the High Commissioner for Diaspora Affairs, regional and local authorities, civil society and media actors.

The project focuses on supporting forcibly displaced persons, returnees, asylum seekers, refugees, internally displaced persons and foreign nationals.

To support families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and vulnerable local households in the Gegharkunik and Shirak regions of Armenia, we are implementing the project: “Emergency Response to Displacement of Population from Nagorno-Karabakh Region to Armenia”. This project is made possible through financial support from the Czech Republic Humanitarian Aid and in collaboration with Mission Armenia.
The primary aim of the project is to provide and enhance the professional skills of the selected participants through the training courses conducted by vocational education institutions and local employers. Additionally, it aims to equip participants with toolkits to help them generate income. Through the project, we envision that those who complete vocational education and training courses will receive job offers from employers involved in the project. Regardless, participants will receive financial assistance to cover transportation expenses during the two-month study period.
We tailor our support to participants based on individual needs assessments, exploring their interests, and identifying opportunities for participation in the programme.

People in Need, along with our consortium partners Medecins du Monde (MdM) and Mission Armenia (MA), have initiated the “Multisectoral emergency assistance to vulnerable conflict-affected population” project with funding from the European Union. We joined our efforts to assist over 23,000 individuals affected by the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023, including those within host communities.
To reduce the conflict’s impact on displaced and host populations, promote their well-being, and strengthen resilience, we concentrate our assistance in four key areas: health, protection, shelter & settlements, and multi-purpose cash assistance.
PIN, alongside our consortium partners, will ensure access to specialised protection services and case management for individuals at risk due to the conflict. We will also facilitate safe, winterised shelter opportunities for the most vulnerable, conflict-affected people while enabling their households to meet their urgent basic needs through multi-purpose cash assistance. In particular, People in Need will provide:

• Eco-friendly briquettes for warmth during the harsh winter months

• Utility payments

• Child-friendly spaces catering to children aged 3-15

• Multi-purpose cash assistance

We identify the families in need of our assistance with the support of local authorities.

In order to urgently respond to the needs of people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, the European Union provided 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid to its partner People in Need for joint distribution with the Armenian government. 

This humanitarian aid included 5,000 blankets, 3,000 kitchen sets, and 3,000 hygiene kits. The Unified Social Service cooperates with the municipalities to provide a list of families referred to us to receive support.

With a large-scale displacement of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh into Armenia unfolding, the main goal of the project funded by Stichting Vluchteling (SV) is to help the most vulnerable people affected by the recent conflict.
Through the SV funds, PIN ensures that the displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh stay in safe, accessible, dignified emergency shelters. As part of the project, PIN is upgrading collective shelters hosting the affected people providing repair kits, equipment, briquettes, and stoves. The project supports approximately 240 families in the Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Kotayk, Ararat, and Armavir provinces of Armenia.

The most vulnerable households are selected in close collaboration with the local authorities who refer collective and individual shelters to PIN.

People in Need, together with our consortium partners Action Against Hunger, Médecins du Monde, Mission Armenia, and the WINNET Goris Development Foundation initiated the 'Prompt Response to the Displacement of People from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia' short-term humanitarian project with funding from the START Fund. This initiative addresses the most urgent needs of the population displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh following the events of September 2023. To provide a comprehensive range of humanitarian assistance to the affected population, the project includes several components that respond to the actual needs of over 8,000 displaced people.

A significant component of the project involves the distribution of multi-purpose vouchers to households in the Syunik and Vayots Dzor regions. PIN is also distributing hot, ready-to-eat meals to individuals, which will be organized through local restaurants, canteens, and small entrepreneurs.
Action Against Hunger is providing multi-purpose vouchers to households in the Ararat and Kotayk regions
MDM contributes to the operations of the Goris reception centre by purchasing essential hardware equipment, as well as supporting rental and utility expenses. 

To address the critical needs related to mental health and document-related issues, Mission Armenia is providing primary psychosocial support and basic legal assistance. 

WINNET Goris facilitates engagement activities, with a specific focus on women and children in Goris. These activities are organized through PIN's established Child-Friendly Spaces, which were established after the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2020.
 
 

Supported by funds from the European Union delegation in Armenia, we are addressing the immediate needs of the population displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 
We have provided hygiene kits to approximately 1,000 displaced families in the Syunik region. This support has benefitted around 3,000 people, including families with children and elderly individuals. 
The families in need of our assistance have been referred to us by the Syunik local authorities.

We support more than 19,000 displaced individuals with assistance from EU Humanitarian aid, in collaboration with the WINNET Goris Development Foundation, aimed at helping families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.
People in Need provides vouchers worth 40,000 AMD to people in the urban areas of the Vayots Dzor and Syunik regions. This allows displaced individuals to purchase essential food and hygiene supplies from local shops in their communities. Meanwhile, those living in rural areas receive food and hygiene kits.
The WINNET Goris Development Foundation, our project partner, conducts various activities catering to displaced women and children.
This aid is accessible to displaced people residing in the Syunik and Vayots Dzor regions. The families in need of our assistance are referred to us by the local authorities.

In the extended community of Goris, Syunik Region, People in Need, with the support of USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), is implementing an emergency preparedness project to reduce the risk of man-made and natural disasters and to make the community resilient and secure. 

The project envisages a series of complex measures coordinated with national and local governmental bodies and other relevant stakeholders active in the field of emergency preparedness. An integral component of the project will be the renovation of shelters that will also be equipped with basic supplies. Coordination systems between the key institutions will be developed, and appropriate procedures for approaching emergency situations will be advanced and finetuned. At the same time, with the direct participation of the Goris municipality, community groups will be created with the involvement of the state, civil society representatives, and volunteers to respond effectively during emergencies. A series of relevant capacity-building training is to be conducted for members of community groups. 

In the framework of this project, public awareness campaigns and emergency drills will be organised.  

People who moved to Armenia due to the Ukrainian war are facing many problems. They are excluded from the labour market which means they cannot ensure the well-being of their families or meet their basic needs. In particular, this issue is evident in rental support, health care, unemployment, as well as vocational training courses and in language assistance.  

In response to the needs of these families and in order to help them recognise their homeland and heritage once again, People in Need has initiated PINcubator: The Programme for the Integration of Armenian Nationals. 

The project has the following components:  

• Social assistance, which includes compensation for rent and/or utility bills, and the provision of basic necessities, i.e. furniture, equipment, clothes and hygiene kits. Within this component, displaced families will also receive free psychological and legal support.  

• On-the-job training provision, which includes Armenian language courses. Foreign language courses can also be provided if deemed necessary.  

• PINcubator: the business incubation programme, which includes business classes, small business grants, mentoring and business coaching.  

This reintegration project is implemented thanks to the funds provided by People in Need, together with its local partner Mission Armenia and in cooperation with the Department of Diaspora of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of RA, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, State Migration Service of Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development, as well as with with the help of various local and international organisations.  

In order to provide humanitarian aid to people affected by the Lachin corridor blockade—which has been ongoing since December 12, 2022—People in Need, Mission Armenia, Armenian Caritas, and the WINNET Armenia network of women's resource centres have formed a consortium to support about 10,000 people affected by the blockade․

With Start Network funding, PIN and our fellow consortium members are helping vulnerable people through local CSOs. We are providing a variety of supports such as winter clothes, food, psycho-social support, and youth and women engagement activities through craft skills etc. 

The selection of beneficiaries and the implementation of works are organised in cooperation with the consortium members and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, Syunik Marzpetaran, Goris Municipality, and the Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Armenia. 
 

The project aims to provide immediate support to the vulnerable population in Armenia; while focusing on displaced people, hosting families, and vulnerable individuals who stayed in their villages during the conflict. As a result of a new wave of attacks on the sovereign territory of Armenia in September 2022, 7,600 individuals have been displaced from the regions of Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik. 

The project aims to cover the urgent needs of the vulnerable conflict-affected and host populations in Armenia and strengthen their resilience through winterisation and food and hygiene support. The project aims to ensure winterisation support to those who lost their dwellings during the conflict. Additionally, it will support host families and ensure immediate multipurpose support that will be provided to the most vulnerable conflict-affected population to meet their most urgent needs. 

This 6-month emergency response will reach 4,225 unique individuals and will be implemented by a consortium of PIN and ACTED. The project will be closely coordinated with relevant authorities and emergency actors to avoid duplications and complement other ongoing responses.
 

Thanks to the funds from the START Network, under the "Emergency Response for Internal Displaced Populations in Armenia" project, PIN is helping people in the Syunik region affected by the Azerbaijan aggression on September 13-15, 2022. The conflict has caused displacement and severe trauma. Vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and women are particularly at risk in a context where state support is limited and access to critical services is poor.

The project is led by ACTED in consortium with PIN and Mission Armenia and is specialising in the Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik, and Syunik regions of Armenia. 

PIN is providing hygiene and baby kits, as well as first aid kits to families and health facilities in the Syunik region and reaching 600 households and 100 mothers. The beneficiaries are selected in cooperation with local authorities, focusing on the most vulnerable.

The project partners ACTED and Mission Armenia are providing multi-purpose vouchers and psycho-support services, respectively. 
 

Eighteen months after the escalation of violence in Nagorno Karabakh, the issue of displaced persons settled within Armenia remains high on the agenda.

The Displaced Family Support project, implemented with the kind support of the US Agency for International Development, aims to improve the quality of life of displaced families living in Metsamor City, Armavir Province. Twenty-six families living in the Mestamor shelter and two-hundred residents scattered throughout Metsamor amalgamated community will have the opportunity to develop their capacities. These families will be encouraged to engage in viable microenterprises to increase and diversify their sources of income through the initiation of new activities. The project also facilitates social cohesion between displaced families and the host community.

To understand the challenges faced by the project, PIN conducted a needs assessment of municipality workers and focus groups composed of displaced families. This assessment revealed that the displaced people had difficulties in finding employment due to the fluidity of the market and the limited economy of the host community. A market assessment highlighted the possibility of creating work in such areas as baking, café or restaurant work; private kindergarten or childcare services; sewing; and a food preserve factory.

Selected beneficiaries among the displaced families and host community will attend training on baking technology, speciality and alternative baking, pastry arts, food service management, financial literacy, and business management. The most successful and motivated participants will have the opportunity of employment in the newly created bakery or receive livelihood kits to support their income generation abilities.

As a major output, the project will support the economic integration of displaced residents in Metsamor through the establishment and maintenance of a bakery. The bakery will ensure an additional 10-12 jobs for the town in general and the project participants in particular. According to estimates, the bakery will produce about 800 loaves of bread and 300 lavashes daily and cover the needs of Mestamor kindergartens and schools. Furthermore, the bakery will produce products both for displaced families at no cost and for sale to the public to ensure the sustainability of the business.

To foster proper assimilation and social integration of displaced families within the host community, PIN in collaboration with Metsamor city municipality will contribute to establishing an additional childcare unit within the existing kindergarten. This collaboration will aim at furnishing, equipping, and staffing. The kindergarten management will be encouraged to prioritize shelter residents for unit staff if they match the requirements for the position.

Relief and Early Recovery for People Affected by Conflict in Armenia, the REACT project, is working to meet the needs of over 17,000 displaced people in the most turbulent regions of the country. Through this project, People in Need (PIN) aims to provide continuous relief aid to those most vulnerable and respond to mounting early recovery needs in Armenia.

PIN is working to support people in five selected regions of Armenia: Kotayk, Ararat, Armavir, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik. With winter quickly approaching, teams working with REACT will help provide tools necessary for living through the cooler months. Providing utility support subsidies for 2000 displaced households, eco-briquettes for 500 families, and winterization kits to 200 families will help keep homes warm in colder temperatures.

Through the REACT project, PIN will also assist the economic integration of conflict-affected populations in Armenia. Providing vocational counsellors to help vulnerable people locate gaps in professional experience and identify relevant skills will allow over 1,500 beneficiaries the opportunity to financially support themselves. This program also provides assistance in drafting CVs, networking, advising, and interviewing.

Alongside economic counselling, PIN will organise short-term vocational and educational training courses in varying subjects. Following completion of this course, 700 participants will receive livelihood kits containing tools selected to help them start their careers as soon as possible.

Additionally, PIN will continue the operation of seven child-friendly spaces in the Goris community of Syunik Province. Through this, children have the opportunity to partake in recreational activities, participate in various cultural and sightseeing events, and perhaps most importantly: play with their peers.

The REACT project is implemented in partnership with ACTED, the Association of Armenian Social Workers (AASW), and Mission Armenia NGO. Our partnering organisations work on other key aspects of integration and aid in Armenia. This support includes multipurpose vouchers assistance, legal counselling, advocacy, case management, mapping of services, and referral systems.

 

This project is made possible thanks to generous funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO).

People in Need supports those affected by the conflict in Armenia by addressing their most pressing hygiene and winterization needs, as well as by helping to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The project covers all of the regions of Armenia and responds to the needs of approximately 50,000 beneficiaries.
Using an integrated Shelter, Health, and Wash response, the project is focused on:

• Enhancing access to safe and winterized shelter for the most vulnerable, displaced populations;

• Protecting the displaced and their host communities from the spread of COVID-19 by enhancing their awareness and enabling them to adopt practices to minimize the risk of transmitting or contracting the disease; and
• Ensuring that the most vulnerable populations affected by the conflict are able to practice basic hygiene and infection prevention behaviors.
 

This project, funded by the European Union and implemented by People in Need (PIN), targets about 2400 conflict-affected persons by addressing their most pressing basic hygiene needs. PIN provides hygiene kits to displaced households and to the most vulnerable host households. The contents of hygiene kits are aligned with national and WHO recommendations, as well as with the recommendations of the WASH working group.
The hygiene kits include more than two dozen items in different quantities for COVID-19 prevention, self-care and house/shelter cleaning: there will be family kits for general usage and additional individual packages for children, women and seniors.
PIN will also produce a needs assessment report to ensure that conflict-affected populations have improved access to evidence-based relief.
Activities are focused on the Syunik region, specifically the Goris extended community, the city of Goris and the Tegh extended community.
 

This project contributes to saving lives, promoting wellbeing, and strengthening the resilience of vulnerable displaced and host populations affected by the conflict in Armenia. The project is funded by the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) and implemented by People in Need (PIN) in partnership with ACTED, REACH, Association of Armenian Social Workers (AASW) and Armenia Inter-Church Charitable Round Table Foundation (ART). 
This project will respond to the needs of about 20,000 conflict-affected persons via a multi-sectoral program that aims at addressing the most pressing shelter, hygiene, and psychological needs of populations.
PIN will increase access to safe and winterized shelter for the most vulnerable conflict-affected populations and support host families with utility payments. The selection of the beneficiaries will be closely coordinated with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MSLA), local municipalities, and the marz administrations.