Our commitment to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Armenia
Published: Jan 31, 2024 Reading time: 2 minutesFollowing the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis, which culminated at the end of September 2023, Martik, along with his wife and two children, were forced to leave home. The family now resides in Goris. He notes that the rental conditions in Goris are more affordable than other regions of Armenia. Following their displacement, they settled in Goris. They spent a few days in a tent before securing a rented house. Although the house is poorly insulated and prepared for winter conditions, despite the cold, they perservere and strive to continue their lives.
Martik's four-year-old son attends a kindergarten in Goris. However, due to the cold house and adverse weather conditions, he frequently falls ill and is often absent.
Martik's family has experienced displacement twice: in 2020, they moved from Shushi to Stepanakert, and in 2023, they relocated to Goris, Syunik region of Armenia. Martik, who previously worked in construction in Nagorno-Karabakh, is currently unemployed and still searching for a job.
They arrived in Goris on September 27 and, as they came by bus, they had few belongings—they left almost everything behind in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Since the start of the war over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020, we at PIN have been helping people facing challenging life conditions with several humanitarian programmes. In September 2023, following a 9-month blockade of the Lachin corridor, ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh were forced to flee. Over 100,000 people took the road to Armenia, crossing through the Goris registration centre, where the Government of Armenia and humanitarian workers helped them to register and reallocate through the regions of Armenia.
As part of our "Prompt Response to Displacement of People from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia" project, we collaborated with Action Against Hunger, Médecins du Monde, Mission Armenia, and WINNET Goris Development Fund. We were supported with funding from Start Network. Throughout October and November, we helped 8,000 displaced persons through various mechanisms. Humanitarian aid was swiftly provided in the initial days of displacement, primarily focusing on the Syunik region as the first entry point. Subsequently, assistance provided by the consortium was extended to other regions of Armenia.
Start Network
In collaboration with the Syunik and Vayots Dzor regional administrations, we extended assistance by providing about 100 $ vouchers (40 000 AMD) to 1,000 displaced families. These vouchers were designated for the purchase of food and hygiene items. Additionally, 2,400 vouchers for warm meals were distributed in Goris. Our partners, including Action Against Hunger, Médecins du Monde, Mission Armenia, and WINNET Goris Development Fund, played crucial roles in voucher distribution, coordinating activities at the Goris registration centre, delivering socio-psychological and legal services, and engaging with children and women.