USAID provides additional assistance to forcibly displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided $1,000,000 in additional assistance to the forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh.

19,300 forcibly displaced persons of Nagorno-Karabakh will receive humanitarian assistance through the USAID-funded Protection, Inclusion, and Empowerment activity implemented by Democracy International.

The Protection, Inclusion, and Empowerment activity supports the displaced population with essential humanitarian aid, including hygiene kits, warm clothing, nourishment, and other basic living needs. The support began in December 2023. It will be provided over a six-month period to those currently residing in Yerevan, Ararat, Kotayk, Lori, Shirak, Syunik, and Tavush.

“Our compatriots from Nagorno-Karabakh, who were forcibly displaced in September 2023, faced the task of starting their lives from scratch. The Armenian government and many people supported them by providing them with basic means of livelihood. Displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh continue to receive state financial support during the winter months. Local and international partners also support us, which is important since forcibly displaced persons need time to return to a self-sufficient existence,” said Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Anna Zhamakochyan.

“Since the end of September 2023, the USAID has provided over $9,2 million in humanitarian assistance for those affected by the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh,” Matthew Laird, Acting Deputy Director of the USAID mission in Armenia, said at a meeting with displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh.

He stressed that the U.S. government is committed to providing assistance to Armenia so that the country can overcome the challenges caused by Azerbaijan’s military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh. According to him, since September 2023, USAID and the U.S. government have provided a variety of assistance, including food and psychological support.

USAID assistance is provided through various organizations, including Mission Armenia, the Armenian Red Cross Society, the Disaster Risk Reduction National Platform and World Vision International.

“Displaced persons are one of the 10 target groups of the Social Protection, Inclusion, and Empowerment program. Our goal is to provide them with the necessary services and improve social protection. To meet the needs of displaced persons, the program cooperates with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and provides primary care,” said Lisbeth Sonneveld, Director of the Armenian office of Democracy International.