The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the European Union, continues to deliver humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups in rural Armenia affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, 67 households in the villages of Gyulagarak, Vardablur and Pushkino in the Lori region have been provided high-quality fodder and feed for the care of their livestock and poultry.
This help comes as part of FAO’s effort to help vulnerable groups in Armenia mitigate the shocks caused by the ongoing pandemic. These families were previously given livestock and poultry as part of FAO’s Cash+ pilot programme.
Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Economy Arman Khojoyan, Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia Gayane Nasoyan, Deputy Governor of Lori region Gor Asryan, Acting Head of Gyulagarak enlarged community Khachik Vardanyan and others joined the assistance distribution in Gyulagarak.
“From the point of view of FAO, the issues of poverty and food insecurity are closely related, and we are committed to supporting Armenia in overcoming both. Food security means not only having access to food, but also ensuring a healthy diet for all and leaving no one behind, particularly in the Lori and Tavush regions,” said Gayane Nasoyan, Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia.
The households and farmers at the event showed great appreciation for the feed, which they said is of vital importance for their families, given the challenges caused by COVID-19.
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LEAD programme
This initiative is part of the Local Empowerment of Actors for Development (LEAD) Programme supported by the European Union and implemented by FAO and the United Nations Development Programme. The programme helps those living in the Lori and Tavush regions of Armenia play active roles in inclusive, resilient and sustainable local development. It is implemented in close partnership with Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure and Ministry of Economy.
Among other projects, the four-year LEAD Programme is focusing on adapting and implementing the European Union LEADER methodology in the Lori and Tavush regions of Armenia. This tried and tested approach identifies and supports community-driven local and rural development initiatives carried out through partnerships uniting local authorities, civil society and the private sector (see below).
In helping Armenian communities recover from the ravages of COVID-19, the programme aims to create 200 new employment opportunities, with direct support for 160 businesses and 300 individuals. In all, 3 000 local residents stand to benefit from pandemic recovery measures in Armenia.
LEADER methodology
The LEAD programme is implemented as part of the European Union’s LEADER / Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) concept with the following objectives: to mobilize, enable and encourage local actors to define community needs-driven strategies in Lori and Tavush regions, to build support infrastructure to prioritize, implement and sustain local-grown initiatives in Lori and Tavush regions, and to improve the capacity of the relevant ministries and other bodies and develop policy mechanisms at the national level for successful piloting and sustainability of the LEADER approach in Armenia.
