Supporting Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province with EU-Funded Eco-friendly Briquettes
Published: Mar 6, 2025 Reading time: 5 minutes Share: Share an articleUpon entering Irina's home, one sees the children's sparkling eyes and warm smiles, followed by the writing on the wall: "Being from Artsakh is difficult, but it's an honour...".
Nearly two years have passed since the 2023 displacement, and people continue to live through difficulties while missing the homes and memories they left behind. These hardships become even more tangible alongside winter's challenges. People must address heating concerns in the Gegharkunik Province, where winters are long and harsh. Thanks to the European Union and People in Need’s SOS Armenia Appeal, we have provided 305 tonnes of environmentally friendly briquettes in five communities of the Gegharkunik Province, covering 305 families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and from host communities.
Irina's Optimism After Leaving Astghashen Behind
Irina's family is one of the hundreds included in our eco-friendly briquettes support project. “I was beyond happy, when we received a call from People in Need offering to help with eco-friendly briquettes,” says Irina. They live in the Chambarak community, and despite it being a border area, they have resettled and adapted to the local environment. "If we could have our own home, I would want it to be in the Chambarak community again," notes Irina. Although the housing conditions are not the same as in Astghashen, Nagorno-Karabakh, Irina is grateful to have a roof over her head, provided free of charge by a community resident.
After displacement, her family tried to find work in the community, even for minimum wage. They began breeding sheep, as the area is favourable, while Irina has also learnt to give manicures. "Yes, we face difficulties, but we manage to overcome them for our children's sake so that we can stand on our own two feet again and live,” says Irina. "My biggest dream is that our dialect will always exist," she adds, stating that for the sake of her country, she will continue to live in Armenia and create something positive.
Genadi's Journey and Love for Nature
The picture is somewhat different for 70-year-old Genadi. He is a doctor by profession and was working at a military hospital on the day of displacement; he didn't even have time to go home to collect any of his belongings. Leaving everything in Nagorno-Karabakh, he moved to Armenia and settled in the Gegharkunik Province.
Genadi's wife passed away in 1993, and since then, he has been caring for his son alone. "I wish everyone were like my wife," says Genadi with a melancholic smile.
His son is a war veteran who, unfortunately, suffered injuries that caused great difficulties in daily life. However, Genadi doesn't complain and hasn't lost hope.
He studied the province's nature, familiarised himself with local medicinal herbs and flowers, and even planted greens in small containers, including the "sorrel" necessary for Karabakh's Zhengyalov bread.
Nune's Unfulfilled Dreams and New Reality in Vardenis
"Whether we'll ever return to Artsakh, I don't know," says Nune, who longingly remembers the home she left in Nagorno-Karabakh, her art classroom, and the familiar environment.
Nune now lives with her family in the Vardenis community. She continues to work with children and finds new strength to move forward. She talks about her son's dreams. He played tennis in Nagorno-Karabakh and wanted to become a coach to give children like him the opportunity to train. This dream has gone unfulfilled due to displacement, and now, in the Vardenis community, opportunities are not as plentiful. He also took dhol [Armenian drums] lessons in Nagorno-Karabakh, and despite the displacement, Edgar brought his beloved dhol with him. They hope that one day, Edgar will pursue his dreams again.
As Nune notes, winter in Vardenis is very long, and it is essential to her that her mother and son don't get cold, "I don't think about myself; what matters is that they don't fall ill." With a smile, she added that the provided fuel was a great help in withstanding the cold winter and warming the home.
The eco-friendly briquette support is one component of our "Multisectoral emergency assistance to vulnerable conflict-affected population" programme with funding from the European Union. Together with partner organisations Medecins du Monde (MdM) and Mission Armenia (MA), we provide healthcare, psychosocial support, multi-purpose cash assistance, and winterisation items to support more than 23,000 individuals affected by the September 2023 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as host communities.
This year, 305 tonnes of eco-friendly heating briquettes have been provided to 305 families in the Gegharkunik Province, supporting 240 families funded by the European Union and 65 families through the People in Need's SOS Armenia Appeal.
During the programme's first phase in the winter of 2023-2024, we provided fuel support to approximately 750 families, covering the provinces of Shirak, Lori, Tavush, Syunik and Vayots Dzor.