UNICEF appeals for $12.6 million to help Artsakh children

UNICEF has warned that more than 30,000 Artsakh children at risk of deteriorating mental health without immediate support.

The organization has appealed for $12.6 million to provide critical services including education, health, child protection, nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene in the first six months.

UNICEF has expressed concern that refugee children arriving in Armenia are showing signs of severe psychological distress.

“We are now seeing the extent to which these children have suffered. Displacement and hostilities, compounded by deprivation have wreaked havoc on their physical and mental health and psychological well-being. Without sustained support, children are at risk of bearing the effects of these deeply distressing events for years to come,” UNICEF Armenia Representative Christine Weigand noted.

Together with the Armenian Ministry of Health, UNICEF has formed mobile pediatric teams to enable wider outreach across the country to ensure screenings to identify and respond to mental health needs.