Armenia accepted over 22 thousand refugees from Syria

According to official data, the total number of refugees in the world is 65.6 million, of which 51% are children.

55% of refugees are from three countries: Syria – 5.5 million, Afghanistan – 2.5 million, South Sudan – 1.4 million.

The highest number of refugees was taken by Turkey – 2.9 million, followed by Pakistan – 1.4 million, Lebanon – 1 million, Iran – 979,400, Uganda – 940,800, Ethiopia – 791,600.

Not being directly related to any of the conflicting parties, we cannot ignore the fact that being a small part of Armenia, the ever-increasing number of refugees has an impact on us as well.

Since the start of the war in Syria, Armenia has received about 22,000 refugees, mostly ethnic Armenians. Some of them later decided to go back to Syria; the other left for the third country, around 15,000 had to continue living in Armenia. This is evidenced by official data.

The flow of Syrian-Armenians to Armenia has given a new color and culture to our country. Especially when walking on the streets of Yerevan, you can often find a variety of restaurants, hairdressers, shops, desserts and footwear based by Syrian-Armenians.

“Armenia is an economically sophisticated country, but it is a safe haven that keeps many refugees here,” said Christophe Birvirt, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Full text in Armenian