Meeting with EU COVID 19 Solidarity Programme Partners
Published: Dec 10, 2020 Reading time: 2 minutes
On December 9, People in Need (PIN) Armenia hosted a meeting with participation of the representatives of EU, including Deputy Head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Jan Plešinger and Regional Director for the Eastern Partnership and Balkans division at People in Need, Petr Drbohlav. The meeting was organised within the frame of EU funded “COVID-19 Solidarity Programme for Eastern Partnership” regional programme. During the meeting 11 partner civil society organisations that are currently implementing grant projects across Armenia were also present.
The meeting was opened by the Country Director of PIN Armenia, Varduhi Dadunts who highlighted the importance of this program especially in our days when pandemic is getting even worth with the households that are hosting spontaneous arrivals from Nagorno Karabakh (NK), where the safely measures are crucial for prevention of the further spread of the virus.
Deputy Head of the Delegation, Mr. Jan Plešinger highlighted steps taken by the European Union to support Armenia in responding to the COVID-19pandemic and the importance that EU attaches to the role of civil society in addressing the consequence of the pandemic. The EU assistance to Armenia include EUR 92million emergency support package, Team Europe leveraging resources for governmental and non-governmental actions, health system support through regional action with WHO and rapid response projects for civil society organisations to address the needs of the groups most affected by the pandemic.
Currently there are different grant projects running as part of this regional programme. The representatives of Mission Armenia BNGO, "Yeghvard" youth and environmental NGO, "Kamq" Lori youth projects center NGO, "Improve Our Village" NGO, "Generations Solidarity" NGO, "Astghavard" NGO, "ABCD Innovation Center" NGO and "Contribution to Women and Children" NGO presented their projects funded within the Rapid Response grant call announced by PIN Armenia. Currently they are providing hygiene kits to vulnerable groups of the regions of Armenia, including spontaneous arrivals from NK – total of around 10,000 people (2500 households).
Meanwhile, the “Women’s Rights House”, “Hai Mairer” (Armenian Mothers) Charitable and “Mihr Creators Union” NGOs are implementing projects aiming to address long term needs of vulnerable households, with a particular stress on socio-economic recovery of them affected by negative impact of COVID-19.
