Armenia - DHA-05: 1-30 November 1996
Armenia - DHA-05: 1-30 November 1996
United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs
Situation Report from the DHA Coordinator in ARMENIA - No. 5
November 1996
HIGHLIGHTS
The Presidential inauguration went ahead, as planned, on 11
November.
Afollow-uptotheCISConference,involving a
consultation-meeting with Armenian NGOs sponsored by IOM
and UNHCR, was held in Yerevan from 13-14 November.
A resolution from the European Parliament on 14 November
calledfornew elections in thosedistricts where
violations had occurred in the Presidential election.
The Constitutional Court s decision on 23 November on the
Presidential election case, declared the election valid.
The Donors Meeting, at the Mid-Term Review stage of the UN
Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for 1996-97, was held in
Geneva on 27 November.
SITUATION
The new Prime Minister, Armen Sargsian, presented his
programme to Parliament on 29 November, and spoke of -
practical steps needing to be taken towards the improvement
of the socio-economic situation (and -public-political
relations-) in Armenia, with over 30 percent of the
population being in need-. He also gave an assurance that
his Government was -ready for a dialogue with all political
forces and parties-.
The President s Chief Adviser visited several European
countries between 31 October and 7 November.
The European Parliament passed a resolution on 14 November
whichcondemnedtheviolations in the Presidential
elections in September - as recorded by the Office of
International Human Rights and Democracy (OIHRD) of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
- as well as the subsequent -undemocratic- treatment of
oppositionpartiesand leaders, and called for new
elections in districts where violations had been recorded.
The resolution also stressed the nature of the impact of
the violations on the final outcome of the presidential
elections.Given that the final announcement by the
Armenian Central Electoral Commission claimed that Ter-
Petrossian won the election by 51.75 percent of the votes,
the recorded violations called into question the legitimacy
of the entire elections.
Theresolution also expressed deep concern over the
oppression of the media, as well as the suspension last
year of a major political party (the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation), the arrest of opposition leaders, and the
closureof the party office of the main opposition
candidate.
The deployment of troops to counter opposition rallies was
also condemned.
Further to this, the resolution called on Armenia s
leadership to immediately safeguard freedoms of the press,
assembly, and speech in Armenia. The resolution was to be
submitted to the European Council, as well as Armenia s
President and National Assembly.
Any further action, such as the freezing of EC economic
aid, was reported as depending on the attitude of the
Armenian authorities to the resolution.
Representatives of the Congress for Local Administration of
the European Union, who visited 110 electoral districts
during the Local Administration elections on 10 November,
said that -the elections were free and fair-, apart from
some small technical and organisational violations.
Thenew Prime Minister announced his new Government
Ministerial team consisting of 24 members, on 11 November.
None of the members of the new team were said to belong to
any of the political parties, and all had received higher
education. Meanwhile,onMinistry changes, it was
announced that a new Ministry for Privatisation and Foreign
Investments had been created, and that the Ministries of
the Interior and National Security had been combined.
The Presidential inauguration took place on 11 November.
UNICEF was represented at the ceremony, and thus acted as
UN representation.
Shelling and firing across the Armenian border was recorded
in the southern districts of Vayk (on three days) and
Syunik (one day) during November, and in the north-eastern
district of Tavoush on the last day of the month.
The Constitutional Court announced its decision on 23
November, that it had turned-down the demand of two
unsuccessfulPresidentialcandidatesto declare the
election invalid.This Court decision was declared to be
final.
Meanwhile, at a news conference on 22 November, the, main
unsuccessfulpresidential candidate, Vazgen Manoukian,
called for new presidential elections in Armenia, and
welcomed the European Parliament s similar view on the
matter.
A Turkish State Minister declared in Bakou on 8 November
that the opening of Turkey s borders with Armenia could not
be considered, until Armenia had withdrawn its troops from
the occupied territories.
A Department for Relations with the Diaspora has been
created by the new Prime Minister, aimed at -providing an
opportunity to every representative of the diaspora to
support the development of Armenian statehood-.
SECTOR REPORTS
Food Aid and Agriculture
The Government, by way of sponsorship provided through the
Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), has announced a new-bread
programme involving special coupons for bread for certain
PAROS - listed needy persons, the concentration being on
pensioners and orphans, in Yerevan, and five centres in
the earthquake zone.The beneficiaries will number 113,
000, and the coupons will entitle each of them to 250 grams
of bread daily, starting on 1 December, for four months.
In likewise announcing this programme, the Director of FAR
s food programmes said that food assistance had been
rendered to approximately 30,000 children and staff members
from 260 kindergartens in the Yerevan area, and 50,000
children and staff of 760 kindergartens in other districts
of Armenia.The majority of FAR s relief programmes were
expected to continue in 1997.
The food supply capacity of WFP Armenia is improving
followingDanish,Dutchand Swiss pledges for the
distribution of around 5,000 MTs of food commodities worth
USD 3.17 million through to March, 1997 for a total of 200,
000 beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, the distribution throughout Armenia of 4,600
family food parcels (FFP) started on 26 November, involving
around 20,000 beneficiaries. 150 of these FFPs will be
allocated to soup kitchens, and another 150 to orphanage
children.These food parcels come by way of the Greek
Government donation. (See October s Situation Report.)
According to the National Health Information-Analytical
Centre, the market basket for October for a family of four
had food costs accounting for 80 percent of the total
generalfamilyexpenses,which also included rent,
electricity, other utilities, and public transport.
Health, Nutrition and Sanitation
From18-22 November, UNICEF completed a country-wide
distribution of syringes and vaccines, including 32,780
doses of measles, 65,400 doses of polio, and 151,800 doses
of diphtheria, thus covering those needs for the coming
three months.While the measles vaccine will be used for
regularimmunisationofchildrenunder seven, the
diphtheria vaccine had been delivered for the -mopping-up-,
mass immunisation campaign, which started on 25 November,
and is designed to reach all those from 6 to 60 years of
age who were not vaccinated previously (in 1995 or 1996).
InNovember, UNICEF co-sponsored a seminar with the
Ministry of Health and AmeriCares to prepare a pilot
project for conducting the training of medical personnel in
cost-effective primary health care. Physicians, a nurse,
and a public health expert in monitoring and evaluation
from five American medical institutions contributed to the
discussion on new protocols for pediatric primary health
care from the basis of both urban polyclinics and rural
facilities.
A UNAIDS representative visited Armenia from 21-28
November with the aim of assisting the UN Theme Group
(involving UNICEF and UNDP-UNFPA) on AIDS to develop a
work-plan in support of national action against AIDS.
There are now eight official cases of AIDS in Armenia,
and most of these involved intravenous use of drugs and
infection beyond Armenia.
DHA visited Spitak Hospital on 21 November for a guided
tour from the Hospital Director, and accompanied by the
visiting Norwegian Red Cross representative, with whom
there were discussions on the value of that organisation
attracting a partner - but, hopefully a Norwegian agency
- to support (on the medical supplies front) their own
continuing, eight year technical-equipment-supporting
relationship with the hospital they had built.
The 88th airlift of the United Armenian Fund was reported
to have arrived in Armenia on 3 November carrying USD 4.
75 million of humanitarian assistance. USD 3.9 million of
the cargo consisted of medical supplies, surgical
implants, antibiotics, equipment for the UAF-funded
Children s Cardiac Centre of Armenia, and various other
medicines, all to be distributed by the Health Ministry
to clinics and hospitals throughout Armenia.
Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
UNHCR and IOM organised a follow-up to the CIS Conference
(held in Geneva in May), and involving a consultation-
meeting with Armenian NGOs, in Yerevan, from 13-14
November. Set against the Action Plan developed from the
Conference, the meeting s agenda embraced an overview of
UNHCR-IOM implementation and follow-up mechanisms, NGO
activities at national, sub-regional and international
levels, and NGO participation in the steering group.
DHA visited the other three UNHCR Field Offices, in
Sissian, Sevan and Spitak, following an initial visit, to
the Echmiadzin Field Office, in late October, and saw
something of HCR s shelter, animal husbandry, and (other)
income-earning assistance programmes. The visit to
Sissian also involved DHA s follow-up investigation and
co-ordination relating to an agricultural project
possibility involving an NGO and a donor Government.
The well controlled nature of these HCR regional Field
Offices, and their wide ranging and vitally Important
programmes for refugees and displaced persons in their
respective areas of Armenia, represent absolutely crucial
aspects of assistance and psychological support in the
country s gradual recovery and progress in this
transitional phase of its development.
DHA was fully represented at a UNHCR-organised round
table discussion on Refugee Women and Education held
from 27-29 November in Yerevan. The discussion focused
on health, education, employment, the family and
protection issues for refugee women, during which five
working groups of NGOs were established that aimed at
following through on these subjects, and meeting needs.
Education
Those attending the Education-Co-ordination Meeting on 14
November were given a progress report on the World Bank s
Education Reform project with the Text Book component,
and the problems this involves in the short-term, and for
the vulnerable sector of parents.
Special Needs
On 22 November, the Children s Centre of Gyumri s Meghvik
NGO organised a concert, and prepared an exhibition of
their works to commemorate UNICEF s 50th Anniversary, and
to launch a fund-raising campaign for the expansion of
their Centre, which serves more than 150 disadvantaged
children who are involved in various educational
activities.
General Economic
The vital (new) Banusha Bridge, connecting the railways
of Georgia and Armenia, was opened on 5 November at an
appropriate ceremony organised with modest pride, but
style, by WFP, and at which the Armenian Minister of
Transport and the Georgian Vice-Minister of Transport
took part. Representatives of the donor nations -
Britain, USA, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Armenia and
Georgia - also participated, alongside other UN Agencies,
and members of the diplomatic corp. The total cost of
the bridge was just over USD 1 million, and its opening
highlighted the importance of WFP s regional Caucasus
Logistics Advisory Unit (CLAU) project.
At a US Department of Agriculture-sponsored Conference
on the Marketing of Agricultural Products in Armenia held
at the American University in Yerevan on 29-30 November,
the Ministry of Agriculture and the new, government
marketing body came under much criticism. One reason was
the lack of consumer - protection legislation against
poisoned or contaminated imported food materials, with
only -anti-advertising powers- being available against
such products.
The Managing Director of Armentel, a guest speaker at the
Conference, also came under attack as introducing, and
promoting, an extremely expensive, even if more efficient
telephone-communications system, for Armenian business
interests.
The American Ambassador to Armenia has declared that the
USA will support Armenia in its wish to become a member
of the World Trade Organisation, and which would thus -
improve its export possibilities- (but which would -also
mean strong competition-).
The Armenian Bank of Peasant Aid, which is supported by
the European Union, will provide its first 477 credits
(of up to USD 500 each) for operations in 60 villages, at
3 per cent average monthly interest rate. The bank had
received USD 800,000 to be provided as credits during the
year. Another 35 villages were also due to receive its
services. The Bank plans to encompass the whole
territory of Armenia by the year 2,000.
Ten large Armenian companies are being prepared for
privatisation. Foreign experts will prepare the required
information for foreign buyers, who will compete for
these companies.
An agreement has been reached with the World Bank for USD
16.5 million to be made available for the establishment
of a large investment company or to commercial banks, for
the provision of similar facilities. A German Bank,
private investors in the USA and UK, USAID, and
commercial banks, are also expected to be involved,
alongside the Armenian Government, in providing funds.
Social Welfare
The first stage has begun of a course of lectures at
Yerevan State University, funded by USAID, for the
advanced training, under 16 different topics, of Ministry
of Social Welfare Directors from the 49 Field Offices,
with half being trained from 4 November - 31 December,
and the other half receiving training in March-April,
1997.
Energy
The Ministry of Energy has stated that the primary
condition for power supplies being maintained this
winter, will be payments. The provision of power will
depend on the percentage of payments during the previous
month. Users regularly and fully paying for power
consumed, are promised round-the-day power supply.
The Ministry of Energy subsequently announced that as
from 1 January, when the price of electricity increases,
those customers who delay electricity payments, will be
fined 0.5 percent per day, of the debt amount.
It was reported that eight hydro-power plants are to be
privatised in January. All of these plants were built
between the 1930s and the 1950s, and will continue in
operation following privatisation.
The British Embassy announced on 9 November that the
Overseas Development Administration s (ODA s) -Know-How
Fund- is to provide assistance to the Ministry of Energy
in the area of business planning and project management
skills.
Ecological
A World Bank team of experts visited Lake Sevan in mid-
November, together with the working group of experts
appointed to investigate the lake s ecological problems
relating to biological purification and water supply.
799 ecological violations were recorded in Armenia during
the first nine months of 1996, of which 328 related to
water pollution, 312 to air pollution, 820 to soil
pollution, and 75 to the preservation of flora and fauna.
UN CONSOLIDATED INTER-AGENCY APPEAL FOR 1996-97
The Donor s Meeting at the Mid-Term Review stage of the
above Appeal was held on 27 November in Geneva, and
following DHA s preliminary meetings with UN Agencies,
NGOs and international- donor agencies in Yerevan, aimed
at sending their messages to the Meeting in Geneva,
concerning the humanitarian and transitional needs in,
and beyond, the Appeal Project areas.
The main message that came across in Geneva (from all
three countries in the region) from DHA, was the fact
that the significant, vulnerable sector of society in
each country was going to require humanitarian-
transitional assistance for quite some time to come. The
need for Armenia to retain its remaining, but diminished
contingent of international NGOs, and their need to be
funded, was also made. The ICRC and ICVA, respectively,
backed-up these points forcibly, at the Donors Meeting.
DHA HQ in New York is actively following up on the Geneva
Meeting with donors represented in New York.
CONTACTS
The Government called together a meeting on 22 November
of the UN and all international aid agencies operating in
Geneva to introduce the new Ministers and raise certain
topics of general interest (such as PAROS), and also
enable questions to be raised, most of which concerned
the need for the international humanitarian and
developmental agencies to be free of Armenian tax,
including VAT.
During the month, DHA had meetings, inter alia, with ECHO
s Regional Coordinator, and their new Coordinator in
Armenia (who is also the Regional Health Coordinator),
Action Contra El Hambre, the German Embassy, the
Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Deputy Minister of
Emergency Situations, and also met the visiting OXFAM
Director, and the Swiss Agency of Development and Co-
operation s Regional Attach, for Humanitarian Affairs.
DHA also attended the usual monthly Co-ordination
Meetings on Education, Health and Sanitation, and Food
held in Yerevan, and involving international, national
and local agencies.
The Humanitarian Affairs Officer represented DHA and the
UN in Armenia at the official opening of the Banusha
Bridge in southern Georgia on 5 November.
During this month, DHA arranged round-table, introductory
meetings with the UN Agencies, for the newly arrived
USAID Regional Director, and, subsequently, the ECHO
Coordinator for Armenia, who is also ECHO s Regional
Coordinator for Health.
An American delegation, headed by the Envoy for Newly
Independent States, visited Armenia from 14-15 November.
One of the main aims of this visit was to discuss the
problems in the development of democracy in Armenia.
A few days earlier, an Iranian delegation, headed by the
Minister of Agriculture, visited Armenia.
OTHER ITEMS
The 79th Assembly of the Armenian General Benevolent
Union opened in Pasadena, California on 16 November, with
world-wide representation from Armenian communities.
An agreement was announced on 15 November between the
Armenian Ministry of Justice, USAID, and the USA Lawyers
Association (ALB), that the latter would review Armenian
laws and sub-legislative acts by a joint expert group, to
determine the international standards. The ALB had
earlier confirmed to DHA that, given Armenia s particular
situation, the group of experts would understandably
include European experts.
A seminar, dedicated to the problems of national
minorities, was held at the National Academy of Sciences
from 21 November. Scientific reports, concentrating on
the origins, history, religions and national
characteristics of Kurds and Ezdis living in Armenia,
were considered.
The Chairman of the Union of Nationalities of Armenia
said that the main problem for national minorities was
the preservation of their language, culture and
traditions. He spoke of Assyrians and Kurds as the most
vulnerable. According to the State Statistics
Department, national minorities make up 4-5 percent of
Armenia's population.
DHA SITUATION REPORTS
These regular monthly Situation Reports on Armenia cover
the calendar month. Any contributions from agencies,
etc. of their highlighted activities-developments of the
month, would be welcomed by the DHA office in Yerevan no
later than the final week-few days of any month.
United Nations Office in Yerevan, Armenia
Mr. Robert Robinson
Tel.: (003742) 15 14 51-53
Fax: (003742) 15 14 50-52
E-Mail: undha@arminco.com
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. Kazuhide Kuroda
Tel.: (1 212) 963.5713
Fax: (1 212) 963.3630
E-Mail: dhagva@dha.unicc.org
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. Arjun Katoch
Tel.: (41 22) 788.6381
Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
E-Mail: Arjun.Katoch@dha.unicc.org
Press To Contact - (DHA-Geneva)
Ms. Madeleine Moulin-Acevedo
Tel.: (41 22) 917.2856
Fax: (41 22) 917.0023
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
E-Mail: dhagva@dha.unicc.org