Helping to meet the immediate needs of refugees in Mission Armenia’s Centres

Since the 19^th September, with the renewal of conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, over 100,000 ethnic Armenian refugees have fled to Armenia.  Responding to this humanitarian crisis, Action Against Hunger, in partnership with People in Need and Mission Armenia, have been providing a wide array of support to these refugees. In the aftermath of this displacement, this support has focused on the immediate needs of the refugees through the provision of pre-paid supermarket cards which they can use to purchase essential items such as food, hygiene products and household items. These cards enable people to exert a higher level of agency in the selection of such supplies. 

On the 7^th November, the Communications Officer of Action Against Hunger South Caucasus Mission accompanied staff members from its Armenian office to centres run by Mission Armenia which are acting as distribution locations for these cards, that have been funded by the START Fund. At both the Charentsavan centre in Kotayk Province and the Nor Nork centre in Yerevan, the staff registered recipients and provided them with information on the use of the cards, explaining that if they had any concerns or complaints about any matter related to the distribution and utilisation of the card they could message a beneficiary feedback number or email address.

According to the Mission Armenia staff, the coming of winter is a significant concern for the refugees as many are currently living in accommodation which lack basic essentials such as electricity and heating. Unemployment is also a big issue. Some refugees have managed to find work, primarily as taxi-drivers and supermarket workers, while others have received jobs involving crafting skills with the help of Mission Armenia’s social workers. Therefore, as time progresses, the response will need to move away from cash and voucher (card) support and begin to focus on the longer-term needs of the refugees, such as livelihoods and building self-reliance.