January 1, 2024

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ARMENIA

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

January - December 2023

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral, and independent organization ensuring humanitarian protection and assistance for victims of armed conflict and other situations of violence. Since 1992, the ICRC has been carrying out humanitarian work in the region to assist people affected by the conflict, promote the dissemination and implementation of the international humanitarian law (IHL) and act as a neutral intermediary between the conflict sides.

Through our delegation in Yerevan and sub-delegation in Goris we continued to support those affected by the conflict escalations in 2020-2023. We continued facilitating resilience-building programs in communities situated along the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We cooperated closely and worked in complementarity with the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) supporting their activities as well as joining efforts in the response to the civilians affected by the escalations.

Following the military escalation on 19 September in Karabakh, the ICRC scaled up its response including with the deployment of staff specialized in the fields of protection, health, forensics, movement cooperation, and weapon contamination to respond to the evolving humanitarian needs. We provided hospitals with supplies to treat trauma injuries, including the war-wounded and burn victims from the fuel depot explosion on 25 September. We facilitated the medical evacuations to Armenia of those in need of urgent medical treatment. We also supported the evacuation of the bodies of the deceased and worked with morgues and hospitals to help identify and ensure the respectful and dignified treatment of the dead. In Armenia, we provided cash assistance and material support to those moved from Karabakh, in cooperation with the ARCS.

We continued interacting with the families of people unaccounted for following the conflict escalations, and since November 2022, have launched the Accompaniment program, which is carried out in collaboration with the ARCS based on the prior assessment of needs of those families. In addition, we kept providing technical and material support, including forensic expertise, for the preparedness and response for the prevention of disappearances and maximizing identification of the dead in emergency situations.

We kept visiting those detained in connection with the conflict escalations, whose detention had been confirmed by the respective authorities. During our visits, we assessed the treatment of the detainees and the conditions of their detention as well as facilitated the exchange of news with their families. With the consent of the authorities, the family contact was maintained by means of Red Cross messages, phone calls, oral greetings and/or pre-recorded video messages.

JANUARY-DECEMBER 2023

Missing, Detained and the Dead

• More than 8,800 calls and individual visits were received at the ICRC delegation in Yerevan and subdelegation in Goris.
• 62 families requested ICRC support to clarify the fate and whereabouts of their missing relatives by opening tracing requests.
• 12 families learned about the fate and whereabouts of their relatives with the ICRC support.
• 303 persons from Armenia are still missing in relation to the escalations in 2020-2022, as per the tracing requests received by the ICRC from affected families. The ICRC maintains the cases and continues to work with the concerned authorities to help provide answers to the respective families.
• 5 Right to Know sessions for the families of the missing were held in Armavir, Lori, and Tavush regions.
• 4 information sessions were held in Armavir and Lori regions for the representatives of the Scientific-Practical Center of Forensic Medicine (SPCFM) DNA laboratory and the State Commission for the Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.
• 660 oral, video, and written Red Cross messages were shared with the families of those detained in relation to the conflict escalations. The ICRC visited the detained individuals on a regular basis and helped them restore or maintain contact with their relatives.
• 2 genetic specialists from the SPCFM DNA Laboratory took part in a study visit to an ISO 17025-accredited DNA Laboratory in Tbilisi, Georgia.
• 18 digital thermometers and one photo camera were donated to the SPCFM DNA Laboratory in Yerevan to bolster capacity building and enhance testing methodologies.
• 2 genetic experts from the SPCFM DNA Laboratory were supported to participate in the International Forensic DNA Database Policy Symposium and the Regional Forensic DNA Training.
• 30 participants representing Armenia’s Investigative Committee, National Security Service (NSS), ministries of Health, Defense, Emergency Situations Service, Police, and the ARCS attended a three-day ICRC-led workshop on the Emergency Preparedness and Response for the Prevention of Disappearances and Maximizing Identification of the Dead.
• 1,970 body bags were provided to the SPCFM (1,840) and the Ministry of Interior's (MoIA) Rescue Service (RS) (130).
• 25 participants from the RS and the ARCS attended refresher sessions on traceability and chain of custody in the management of the dead in emergencies.
• 4 genetic experts from the SPCFM DNA laboratory received specialized training on the use of state-of-the-art genetic testing equipment.
• 11 representatives of the Investigative Committee participated in a DNA Training Session.
• 6 cold chambers were installed at the SPCFM morgue in Yerevan.
• 25,400 examination gloves, 10,000 scalpel blades, 1750 sample collection kits, 30 DNA extraction kits, five sets of IT equipment, six cold chamber lifting trolleys, 20 body trolleys, two freezers, 3400 masks, two genetic analyzers, laboratory furniture, consumables, and reagents were donated to the SPCFM laboratory.
• 3 refrigerated containers were installed in Abovyan, Armavir, and Yeghegnadzor mortuaries.
• A new heavy-duty truck with a specially adapted refrigerated cargo compartment was donated to the SPCFM.
• 2 trucks of the RS were upgraded into refrigerated vehicles.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

• 1,022 persons benefited from direct mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
• 245 people attended sensitization sessions organized by the ICRC and the ARCS on the psychological consequences of armed conflict on various layers of the civilian population.
• 102 family members of missing persons received psychological support during home visits or through support groups.
• 354 MHPSS group sessions were organized in various regions in Armenia, including 34 for the families of missing persons.
• 880 people, including 285 persons recently moved to Armenia from Karabakh and living in communities of Gegharkunik, Tavush, Vayots Dzor, and Syunik regions, were provided with mental health and psychosocial support conducted by the ARCS counsellors in close cooperation with the ICRC.
• 20 persons previously detained in relation to the conflict, attended MHPSS sessions.
• 133 individual sessions were carried out by ARCS counsellors and the ICRC MHPSS team.
• 54 health workers from Syunik and Gegharkunik participated in workshops jointly organized by the ARCS on stress management, self-care, and interacting with people affected by violence.
• 96 persons including 35 mental health practitioners and health professionals from partner NGOs and Armenia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD), who attended a three-day training on MHPSS Response to persons previously detained, organized jointly by the ICRC and the Swedish Red Cross in Yerevan, were trained to be able to provide MHPSS and to enhance their interaction skills with the families of missing persons, people previously detained and those affected by violence.

Health Care

• 974 persons in 66 communities of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Gegharkunik, Tavush, and Ararat regions, including health professionals and firefighters, were trained in basic/advanced first aid by the ARCS First Aid Department, with ICRC support.
• 19 managers from four hospitals in Tavush region and one hospital in Gegharkunik region participated in the ICRC’s Mass Casualty Management Course.
• 3 health facilities in Syunik and Vayots Dzor regions hosted the Mass Casualty Management simulation exercises for their staff members.
• 20 basic, five drugs and five renewable units of the Interagency Emergency Health Kit were donated to the Ministry of Health of Armenia (MoH) for distribution in the primary health care services of regions with a high number of displaced people to cover basic medical care needs of 50,000 persons for three months.
• 1,200 war-wounded received the necessary medical care with the ICRC support in Armenia and Karabakh.
• 215 health professionals attended workshops on the proper management of patients with burn injuries.
• 345 people participated in the ICRC’s Health Care in Danger (HCiD) workshops and/or dissemination sessions with a focus on the respect and protection of medical personnel, medical vehicles, and health facilities.
• 6 hospitals in Tavush and Gegharkunik regions were donated 15 oxygen concentrators.
• 4 hospitals in Gegharkunik and Tavush regions were provided with a six-month stock of drugs, consumables, and medical items to meet the basic needs of 5,000 patients.

Economic Security

• Over 5000 households from conflict-affected communities of Armenia received cash assistance to support their basic needs.
• 800 households received cash for productive assets to promote self-reliance.
• 110 households benefited from the ICRC's livelihood support projects, including poultry and beekeeping, through the provision of tools, materials, and training.
• 1,000 households were supported with cash for seeds and tools to boost agricultural production.
• 100 households received support for the rehabilitation of small-scale irrigation systems, improving access to water for farming activities.
• 200 people participated in vocational training programs, with a focus on agricultural skills.
• 50 families received support to start small businesses through the provision of grants and training.

Water and Habitat

• Improved access to safe drinking water for 3,000 households in conflict-affected communities by rehabilitating water supply systems.
• 200 households benefited from the construction of new sanitation facilities.
• 30 schools and health centers were supported with the rehabilitation of water and sanitation infrastructure, benefiting 12,000 people.
• 50,000 people benefited from the distribution of hygiene kits and awareness sessions on good hygiene practices.