Hope amidst despair: People in Need’s timely help to displaced people

Published: Dec 13, 2023 Reading time: 2 minutes

In the aftermath of the recent September attacks in Nagorno-Karabakh, more than 100,000 individuals who were forcibly displaced, trapped in a blockade for more than 9 agonising months, find themselves in dire need of assistance. Amidst the shadows of despair, pain and uncertainty, these people urgently needed an immediate response to their challenging situation.

As pioneers in assistance, People in Need (PIN) remained steadfast in their commitment to their mission and promptly responded to the needs of these individuals from the very onset of displacement. We allocated 40,000 EUR from PIN’s Club of Friends Funds to ensure practical support for those in crisis, irrespective of their circumstances.

At the core of this humanitarian assistance, our focus has been on reaching out to people by providing nourishment, including essentials such as oil, sugar, buckwheat, lentils, and more. 1000 food kits, ample enough to sustain a family for an entire month, were distributed to the displaced people in the Tegh, Tatev, Sisian, Goris, Qajaran, and Meghri communities in the Syunik region who stayed in rented houses or in host communities. The families in need of our assistance were referred to us by the local authorities. We also brought assistance to our displaced compatriots on their arrival at the Goris registration centre by registering and standing alongside them as a promise that they were not alone. Additionally, we offered technical aid to streamline the challenging process of rebuilding.

Talking with displaced people was difficult. They didn’t want to voice their thoughts, unwilling to confront the harsh reality surrounding them.

A teacher from Nagorno-Karabakh, who didn’t want to be captured recalls the recent events with a heavy heart, struggling to find the words to express her emotions. She was at school during the shelling in Stepanakert, being a silent witness to the terrified screams of children, unable to intervene. Her daughter was on another floor at the same school, and her son was at another school, “I didn’t know if I would ever see him again”. She vividly remembers how people were rushing to schools to save their kids. “Some of them could, some of them could not. One of the kids didn’t wait to reunite with her mother, and...”, she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.

They have now relocated elsewhere in Armenia in search of a new beginning, while we try to provide some assistance to meet their needs.

As we continue our unwavering commitment to those affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, we remain dedicated to fostering hope and resilience for displaced individuals, who, once again, are striving to rebuild their lives in Armenia.