USAID provides $1 million in additional assistance for the displaced people from Nagorno-Karabakh. Due to this funding, 19,300 displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh will receive humanitarian support under the Protection, Inclusion, and Empowerment program funded by the United States Agency for International Development and implemented by Democracy International.
This initiative officially kicked off today in Kanaker-Zeytun district, Yerevan during which displaced persons received food and hygiene packages. USAID/Armenia’s Acting Deputy Mission Director Matthew Laird along with Anna Zhamakochyan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, and Liesbeth Zonneveld, Country Director of Democracy International Armenia joined the event.
“Since late September 2023, USAID has provided $9.27 million to support those impacted by the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. These funds are used to provide everything from food to psychosocial support to help address trauma caused by the violence and mass displacement,” said USAID/Armenia’s Acting Deputy Mission Director Matthew Laird in his meeting with the displaced persons.
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The “Protection, Inclusion, and Empowerment” Activity supports the displaced population with essential humanitarian aid, including hygiene kits, warm clothing, nourishment, and other fundamental necessities. The support began in December 2023 and will extend over a six-month period to those currently residing in Yerevan, Ararat, Kotayk, Lori, Shirak, Syunik, and Tavush.
Anna Zhamakochyan, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs stressed during the visit: “Our compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh were forcibly displaced within days in September 2023 and faced the challenge of restarting their lives and activities. The Government of Armenia, along with many individuals, assisted them by providing basic living and livelihood support. People displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh continue to receive state financial support in the winter months. In all these government programs, we have our local and international partners by our side, which is important because a forcibly displaced family needs time to regain self-sufficiency.”
The implementation of this initiative is a collective effort, involving a consortium of organizations, which includes the Armenian Red Cross Society, Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform Foundation, Mission Armenia and World Vision International.
Liesbeth Zonneveld, Country Director of Democracy International Armenia said in her remarks: “Displaced people are one of the 10 target groups for the Protection, Inclusion, and Empowerment Activity. Ensuring that they receive better need-based services and protection is our goal. To directly address their complex social protection needs, PIE both cooperates with the MLSA and provides direct emergency assistance.”
The visitors observed the entire process of aid distribution and talked to the beneficiaries to learn more about their needs.
USAID remains committed to helping displaced persons through its programs.
