Assessment of support provided to displaced persons from Nagorno Karabakh. Research

 

The other day, the World Vision Armenia organization presented to the public the results of the research “On the policy and experience related to the support provided to displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh, particularly women and girls”, which are of great importance for coordinating the sphere of social support, ensuring its effectiveness and addressability in emergency situations. The research was conducted within the Women, Security, Peace component of the USAID-funded Community Level Access to Social Services (CLASS) program.

 

In the framework of the research, 2020 was studied. Legislation and policies regulating the support provided to displaced persons as a result of the war unleashed by Azerbaijan on September 27, the problems were highlighted, summarized and recommendations were presented to solve these problems.

 

The gender sensitivity of social assistance services provided during the period was also examined, taking into account the importance of ensuring equal access to programs and services for women and men, girls and boys during humanitarian aid and creating equal opportunities in the decision-making process.

The event was attended by social workers and other actors from the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Emergency Situations and other ministries, international and local non-governmental organizations, as well as active participants in the crisis situation.

 

At the opening of the event, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Davit Khachatryan, Head of USAID programs Ani Manukyan, National Director of World Vision Armenia Raffi Dudaklyan spoke. The results of the research were presented by experts Eleonora Tarakhchyan, Ani Jilozyan, Sevan Petrosyan, head of the component of the “Women, Peace and Security” program of the AMS program.

 

During the research, the RA legislation regulating the field of social support for displaced persons, the concept of the RA Migration Service, publicly available materials and documents were also studied. Special attention was paid to the important measures implemented in the process of supporting displaced persons, which can be a precedent to be applied in similar situations in the future.

 

According to the researchers, some of the important events were:

 

  • Creation of receiving-distributing station,
  • Creation of operational headquarters of the government of Nagorno Karabakh in RA,
  • the hotline with the number “117” serving for quick response to the problems of displaced persons and the necessary guidance,
  • definition of state social support measures for persons hosting displaced persons,
  • interagency response program,
  • the practice of using vouchers to purchase specified products within a certain amount from specific stores;
  • provision of social support to the host community of displaced persons,
  • ensuring continuity of education for children of displaced persons,
  • Adoption of the concept of the RA migration service.

 

During the research, a number of problems were raised by the presentation of the expert, and the researchers made recommendations for their solution.

 

In particular, the study revealed that in order to improve the provision of assistance to displaced persons in wartime and post-war situations, it is necessary to:

 

  • to provide relevant legal regulations regarding the specifics of support services (eg volunteer work), defining certain concepts (ie, the concept of “displaced person”),
  • to increase the number of social workers in communities,
  • to expand the scope of provided social services, including the need to introduce psychological services and programs aimed at ensuring employment;
  • to create a single and complete information base on displaced persons, which would be regularly updated
  • to create appropriate information platforms regarding support providers and beneficiaries,
  • to develop and introduce effective mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation of social services and programs provided by the state,
  • to improve tools for providing accurate information.

 

Full text in Armenian

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