Armenia - DHA-15: 1-30.Sep.97
Armenia - DHA-15: 1-30.Sep.97
Armenia
No. 15
Situation Report from the DHA Coordinator in Armenia
September 1997
HIGHLIGHTS
- 88 percent of the Armenian population lives under the poverty line
according to the Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission
- UN Agencies and ECHO will undertake assessments for infrastructure and
crop damage in the flood affected marzes
- DHA is establishing a Humanitarian Assistance Matrix
SITUATION OVERVIEW
Economic Performance
Two credit agreements - the Second Structural Adjustment Credit (SAC) and
the Second SAC-Technical Assistance were signed between Armenia and the
World Bank in Washington on 2 September. The agreement on the allocation
of a credit for structural changes (USD 60 million) was signed to realise
the schedules of arrangements and actions to ensure economic stability and
system reforms. It is aimed at eliminating losses in the power, drinking
water and irrigation systems. The second agreement (USD 5 million) was
signed to ensure the implementation of structural changes in the economy.
The agreement provides for target projects to foster the reforms in the
health, social welfare, education, energy, finance and other sectors.
Social Life
88 percent of the Armenian population lives under the poverty line,
Chairman of the Parliamentary Commission on Social Issues, Health Care and
Environment Protection Gegham Gharibjanian said at a news conference held
on 11 September. The Government is rendering financial assistance to the
unemployed willing either to get involved in business activities or set up
their own businesses. According to Gagik Bleyan, Chief of the Population
Employment Department at the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), the grant
is equal to a 80-fold increase in the basic unemployment allowance (the
basic unemployment allowance amounts to 3,000 drams or 6 US dollars). If
an unemployed person creates new jobs (no more than five), he receives an
additional 60,000 drams for each new job he creates. To receive grants
unemployed people should submit a business plan to be approved by local
coordinating committees, which have been set up in almost all towns and
regions of the country. These committees consist of representatives of
trade unions, employers and local authorities.
Other Issues
CIS Interstate Council on Emergency Situations held its regular session on
23 September in Stepanavan, Lori marz. Armenian, Russian and Georgian
rescue teams carried out joint exercises which included almost all spheres
of civil defence. The session was attended by representatives of CIS
countries, Secretariat of the Interstate Council, International
Organisation of Civil Defence, CIS Interstate Economic Committee. The
participants discussed the further activities of the Council, issues on
emergency management, training programmes, information exchange, financial
and material resources and other issues. A draft programme of joint
studies in the field of prevention and elimination of emergency situations
was approved by the participants.
SECTORAL SUMMARY OF EVENTS
Food Security-Agriculture
DHA attended the WFP food-aid coordination meeting which was held on 11
September. The participants provided information on their current
programmes in the food sector, as well as plans for the rest of this year
and spring 1998. The issue of supporting the affected population of the
areas which were damaged badly following hails, heavy rains and earthquake
during the summer period was raised by the Humanitarian Assistance
Commission (HAC). DHA gave a brief presentation on the significant works
carried out with donated funds in Goris city and some surrounding
villages, as well as on a proposed assessment for infrastructure and crop
damage, with UNDP funds, to be undertaken jointly by UN Agencies and ECHO
in the flood affected marzes of Siunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik, Lori and
Tavoush. On the base of findings an UN system response to the possibility
of increased food insecurity this winter and the need for distribution of
inputs to farmers in the spring 1998 would be formulated. A food strategy
for 1998 is anticipated to be developed by ECHO. WFP stated the shortage
of its food resources for the country. WFP is not anticipating any
deliveries for the rest of 1997 with the exception of 202 MTs of vegetable
oil and 265 MTs of CSM purchased with the funds allocated by the
Governments of Sweden and the Netherlands, respectively.
Integrated Food Security Programme-South Armenia (IESP) sponsored by
German GTZ, supports the most vulnerable people in Sissian region. For
this purpose IESP is now setting-up a Social Support Fund. Four field
surveys should be conducted by the Armenian Institute for Sociological
Surveys which would last for one year.
Health and Sanitation
On 2 September a team of Japanese Optometrists from Fuji Optical Co. Ltd.
arrived in Armenia to implement a vision screening project, a donation in
kind to UNHCR for refugees and socially vulnerable people. The project was
implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW),
UNHCR-CRS Field Offices, Armenian Relief Society (ARS) and Mission
Armenia. The total amount of glasses donated to UNHCR is 3,000 pairs.
Vision screening took place in Yerevan, Sissian and Sevan. The Japanese
team also contributed their expertise and equipment to conduct vision
screening. The project will be continued in other regions of Armenia, in
cooperation with the UNHCR-CRS Field Offices and ARS.
A seminar on pharmaceutical issues was held in Yerevan. The seminar was
attended by experts of WHO as well as those from Armenia, Georgia and
three countries of the Middle Asia. Kurt Rasmussen, Head of Euro-WHO
consulting group, said that Armenia has accumulated certain experience in
the field of new medicines policy strategy. The first national medicines
guide had been compiled with active participation of WHO and local
experts.
UNICEF has provided the Ministry of Health (MoH) with one-year supply of
Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) for treatment of diarrhoea. The supply was
funded by the Governments of the Netherlands and Sweden.
Dr. France Donnay, Senior Advisor on Women Issues from UNICEF
Headquarters, visited Armenia to assess the current situation in
reproductive health and discuss UNICEF involvement in this area. Dr.
Donnay met with Armenian officials, national and international NGOs
operating in this area, as well as attended a donor meeting on
reproductive health.
The 95th airlift of the United Armenian Fund (UAF) arrived in Armenia on
28 September carrying USD 7 million worth humanitarian assistance, mainly
medical supplies.
Shelter
Some 15 billion drams are needed to reconstruct dwelling houses and other
public buildings damaged by the July earthquake in Noyemberian region. The
Government recently assigned 100 million drams from its reserves under
immediate arrangements, i.e., reconstruction of schools, medical
establishments in the town of Noyemberian and three nearby villages.
According to the Governor of Tavoush marz, the programme of elimination of
consequences of the earthquake has been included on the draft budget for
1998. Considerable foreign investment is also required, the Governor said.
The issue of house construction for refugees being carried out together
with UNHCR, has been discussed at a session of the Ministry of Social
Welfare (MoSW) on 24 September. It has been decided to stop the building
of cottages for refugees. Instead, multi-storey buildings are to be built.
Education, Training and Child Care
UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank have signed a project agreement with the
Ministry of Education and Science (MoES) to conduct a series of school
headmaster training sessions beginning in 1998. The training will cover
management and leadership skills, new legislative requirements and
community involvement in school management.
UNICEF supported the MoES to conduct psycho-social training for 80
teachers and psychologists of Siunik marz. The project is funded by the
Swedish Government.
Development Related Activities
UNHCR, in cooperation with the AAA-NGO Training and Resource Centre
(NGOC), has launched -a request for proposal processes- through which
local NGOs are invited to submit small-scale funding proposals. The
eligibility criteria and selection of applicants will be carried out by
the two organisations jointly. The small grants programme will enhance the
institutional capacity-building of the NGOs, provide support for their
projects assisting beneficiary groups identified by the CIS Conference,
and increase the number of UNHCR local implementing partners.
A fund of 100 million dollars was founded on the initiative of the
American-Armenian entrepreneur Kerk Kerkorian and Senator Bob Dole. The
fund aims at promoting the development of entrepreneurship in Armenia via
credit programmes, Armenian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Arsen Gasparian
said at a news conference on 22 September. He noted that along with
humanitarian aid Armenia needs development of technical cooperation and
investment. In that connection he highly assessed Kerk Kerkorians
programme which will give a chance to develop different fields of economy
and trade in the country.
Community Development and Income Support Activities
DHA met with Gagik Khachatrian, Head of the Armenian Social Investment
Fund (ASIF) on 3 September to get acquainted with current programmes of
ASIF. ASIF was established in January 1996 by a decree of the Armenian
Prime Minister and with the support of the World Bank (WB). With the funds
available (WB credit of USD 12 million, Dutch Government contribution of
USD 2.3 million and other contributions, in total, USD 20 million) ASIF is
implementing about 350 projects, of which 115 have been approved, 41
projects have already been completed and 27 are under implementation. The
number of beneficiaries will reach approximately 800,000. The operations
of ASIF include the implementation of projects for the rehabilitation of
the community social and economic infrastructure, the assistance to the
development and self-organisation of communities, the development of the
capacity of local organisations and private enterprises involved in
ongoing projects, job creation through contracts with private construction
companies. ASIF projects commence on the initiative of the communities and
are implemented by the latter. The fund is operating in the most
vulnerable regions of the country. ASIF is expanding its operations and
will cover the entire territory of the country by 1998. The construction
of two reservoirs with a total capacity of 200 cubic meters, a 600-meter
drinking water-pipe in the refugee village of Nor-Khachakap in Lori marz,
in total USD 50,000, has been completed recently. The construction of a
550-meter drinking water-pipe and a 110-meter sewage line in Vanadzor town
worth USD 23,000 has also been completed. A school for 300 children has
been constructed in the village of Vardablur in Lori marz (USD 140,000)
and the ceremonial inauguration was held on 1 September. A project
proposal on reconstruction of one of the five sections of the drainage
system submitted by the Municipality of Goris to ASIF is under
consideration. Another project proposal submitted by MSF-Belgium on
rehabilitation of Vardenis Centre for psychiatric people is under
appraisal. Some 40 projects have been developed to be implemented in
Tavoush marz.
Migration
According to the Chief of the Employment Centre of the Ministry of Social
Welfare (MoSW), national employment agencies helped some 40 unemployed
Armenians to find jobs in Russia. The Migration Service of the Russian
Federation had already opened its office in Armenia, and many unemployed
people would be able to find contractual jobs abroad. The Ministry had
concluded intergovernmental agreements on free manpower migration with a
number of CIS countries. Currently the Ministry is holding negotiations
with relevant services in those countries to introduce mechanisms of
organised migration processes.
A national NGO Migration Sector Support Group was established in Armenia.
NGO representatives together with the staff of the Armenian Sociological
Association meet regularly to outline a new strategic plan for migration
sector activities in the country. Seminars addressing migration issues
include condition of refugees, idea generation and proposal writing. Other
important developments include the establishment of the Migration Sector
Resource Library and Information Centre and initial planning for a
database on NGO migration activities.
Energy
An agreement on the creation of a joint Russian-Armenian gas company to
export Russian gas to Turkey via Georgia and Armenia was signed by
Armenian Minister of Energy Gagik Martirossian, the Chairman of Russian
Gazprom company Rem Viakhirev and President of the ITERA international
energy corporation Igor Makarov on 30 August. The initial agreement
between Russia and Armenia on cooperating in the export of Russian natural
gas was signed in January 1997. Under the terms of the agreement, Armenia
will receive Russian gas for domestic consumption at prices lower than
those it paid for gas supplied by Turkmenistan. The volume of Russian gas
supplies to and via Armenia will increase from 3 billion cubic metres in
1999 to 9 billion cubic metres in 2003. Russia will receive 55 percent and
Armenia 45 percent of the profits from the joint venture. Work on
construction of an export pipeline and on renovating the existing pipeline
network within Armenia will create some 2,000 new jobs initially.
Gas supplies to the Vayots Dzor marz resumed on 7 September after a
five-year break. Armenian Prime Minister Robert Kocharian visited the marz
to attend the ceremony occasion as well as the opening of the Her-Her
Hydropower Plant. He said at the ceremony that some serious long-term
projects were now being implemented in the sector of energy, and the
resumption of gas supplies was one of them.
OTHER ISSUES
DHA is currently working on the establishment of a database which will
track the provision of assistance in the humanitarian and rehabilitation
spheres. The database, which will be able to provide search capacities to
the community level country-wide is designed to indicate those sectors and
geographical locations where humanitarian assistance continues to be
carried out as well provide as an overview of continuing humanitarian
needs.
This report is available on the internet through RELIEFWEB:
http://www.reliefweb.int
United Nations Office in Yerevan, Armenia
Mr. Robert Robinson
Tel.: (003742) 56 23 55 - Fax: (003742) 15 17 49
E-Mail: undha@arminco.com
Inter-Agency Support Branch (IASB) - Geneva
Mr. David Bassiouni - Chief
Ms. Sylvia Ferazzi
Tel.: (41 22) 788.1402 - Fax: (41 22) 788.6386
Registry E-Mail: Rosemary.Addo-Yirenkyi@dha.unicc.org
Complex Emergency Division (CED) - New York
Mr. David McLachlan-Karr
Tel.: (1 212) 963.0226 - Fax: (1 212) 963.1388
E-Mail: mclachlan-karr@un.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: Moulin-Acevedo@dha.unicc.org
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