Reacting towards the needs of displaced people
Published: Dec 27, 2022 Reading time: 2 minutesAt People in Need, people are the focus of our work; in Armenia, these people can be facing the consequences of war, or struggling to escape poverty. We are here to help as much as possible. Therefore, we combined our capacities with ACTED, AASW, and Mission Armenia to help the people most vulnerable to the consequences of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020.
Thanks to humanitarian funding from EU Humanitarian Aid, the "REACT: Relief and Early Recovery for People Affected by Conflict in Armenia" project is active in all of Armenia's regions. REACT seeks to meet the needs of civilians with psycho-social support, vocational education, and voucher assistance.
Since the beginning of the project, consortium member ACTED has provided vouchers to 6,801 Armenians in Gegharkunik, Lori, Tavush, Shirak Aragatsotn, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik regions.
Narine is one among many persons who have benefited from this assistance; her family received a voucher for food, hygiene, household goods, etc. Before the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, they were living in the Kashatagh province. Narine moved to Goris with her husband and children, who are one and four years old. The voucher support was a big help for Narine and her family, as they could shop for the things they needed.
Sofia is another displaced person we helped overcome difficulties due to the conflict. She is a former history teacher. While living for over ten years in Kashatagh, Nagorno-Karabakh, Sofia used to keep bees. Forced to leave her home, she moved to Goris with four children. Her family’s living conditions are difficult, but she is strong enough to make a living. Thanks to the voucher provided by ACTED, Sofia could buy groceries from the supermarkets. She bought long-lasting food supplies that will be put to vital use.
Visiting Sofia
Sofia also received beekeeping training within the REACT project to enhance her knowledge of her craft. Though she has beekeeping experience, she says this training was a good refresher and networking opportunity to meet with other specialists. People in Need will support Sofia with beehives—these are essential to support her with higher honey production and sales.