News Alert: Project HOPE Responds to the Urgent Needs of Armenian Refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh

Project HOPE has been on the ground in Armenia since Azerbaijan took control of Nagorno-Karabakh, creating a humanitarian crisis that caused approximately 120,000 refugees to flee to Armenia. The team conducted a comprehensive health needs assessment in Armenia’s Kotayk, Armavir, Ararat, and Syunik provinces in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) agencies.

One of the key findings of the assessment was a need for winterization items since many of the refugees left their homes during warmer months with only essential items, they could carry with many now seeking shelter in structures that are unfit for the winter conditions.

As part of ongoing relief efforts, Project HOPE has distributed electrical heaters in the Tegh community of the Syunik province, which is home to around 6,000 people and now has welcomed 500 refugees, made up of 110 families. The team provided heaters to 219 refugees from 4 villages of Tegh to ensure their homes are adequately heated as winter approaches.

Armine Hovsepyan, Project HOPE’s Armenia Country Director said: “Families from Nagorno-Karabakh have been forced to leave their homes in haste, with no time to collect their belongings. Many fled wearing only the clothes on their backs, leaving behind possessions, homes, and memories. Some of the families we have spoken to have expressed difficulties in meeting some of their most basic needs. This includes finding sufficient beds for all family members and access to electrical appliances. As the cold season approaches, refugees that have found host families still require access to boilers, heaters, and refrigerators. This distribution of heaters will help many families stay warm, but there are still many needs in this region, and Project HOPE is committed to providing continued assistance to the refugee population.”

Photos are available here. Interviews with staff are available upon request.

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Project HOPE’s History in the Region: From 1990 to 1993, Project HOPE supported Armenia’s recovery from the 1988 earthquake by providing humanitarian relief, medical treatment, and pediatric rehabilitation education and training for health workers. From 2009 to 2012, Project HOPE worked with Armenian health officials to improve tuberculosis (TB) control efforts by training officials and health workers in case detection and infection control. Most recently, Project HOPE responded to the 2020 conflict in the N-K region by providing essential health packs to the Armenian Ministry of Health, donating an Interagency Emergency Health pack (IEHK), and procuring hygiene kits for 6,000 people, as well as training health workers.