Latest
Story
28 June 2022
UNICEF establishes three preschool services in Syunik marz with the financial support of European Union
Learn more
Story
24 June 2022
IOM Armenia holds a briefing on outcomes of International Migration Review Forum (IMRF)
Learn more
Story
23 June 2022
Armenia steps up mental health community services for populations affected by the armed conflict with WHO and EU support
Learn more
Latest
The Sustainable Development Goals in Armenia
The Sustainable Development Goals are a global call to action to end poverty, protect the earth’s environment and climate, and ensure that people everywhere can enjoy peace and prosperity. These are the goals the UN is working on in Armenia:
Story
24 June 2022
IOM Armenia holds a briefing on outcomes of International Migration Review Forum (IMRF)
IOM Armenia’s Head of Office Ms. Ilona Ter-Minasyan and the Head of the Migration Service of Armenia Mr. Armen Ghazaryan attended a follow-up meeting with international partners to present main developments on International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), discuss key messages, outcomes of the Forum and priorities of the Republic of Armenia. The discussion was welcomed by Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia, the Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia.
During May 17-20, 2022, the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) was taken place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The quadrennial International Migration Review Forum aimed to review the progress made by the states at the local, national, regional and global levels in implementing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM).
“During the past years Armenia has witnessed significant steps towards the advancement of good migration governance,” – says IOM Armenia Chief of Mission Ms. Ilona Ter-Minasyan and highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder cooperation on migration issues.
The Republic of Armenia is one of those countries which in close cooperation with IOM prepared and presented two Voluntary National Reviews on implementation of the GCM and participated in IMRF-2022. The Republic of Armenia was represented at the IMRF by the Head of the Migration Service and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations in New York.
1 of 5

Story
16 June 2022
Local Authorities and farmers in Gegharkunik discussed with the UN strengthening community resilience to address climate security
The Acting Resident Coordinator of the UN in Armenia, Lila Pieters Yahia and Assistant Representative of FAO, Gayane Nasoyan, and other UN experts met with the Governor of Gegharkunik region. They discussed how security concerns aggravated by climate change include impacts on food security, agriculture production increased competition over natural resources, loss of livelihoods, climate-related disasters, and migration. The visit also included meetings with other authorities and farmers.
The mission allowed to hear from first-hand about climate security challenges. Proposed solutions for strengthening communities’ resilience were presented such as securing borders sovereignty, land use preparation, strengthening water management and irrigation and drinking water systems; mitigating the cost of fuel through improved food production and logistics systems; introducing innovative and cost-effective agriculture practices, and labour skills matched.
The Governor of Gegharkunik region, Mr. Sargsyan underlined the urgency to address climate security to improve the livelihoods of the people, reduce migration and strengthen the development of his region. He also attached high importance to effective coordination with the UN and other partners.
“It was very inspiring to listen to local authorities, citizens, and farmers, including those recently displaced. The problems were well defined, and we had a substantive solution-oriented discussion to better understand how we can support and empower them in addressing the multidimensional challenges they face in a sustainable way”, said Lila Pieters Yahia.
“Poverty and food insecurity are closely interrelated, and FAO is committed to supporting Armenia in overcoming both. Food security means not only having access to food but also ensuring a healthy diet for all and leaving no one behind,” said Gayane Nasoyan, Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia.
1 of 5
Story
01 June 2022
5 Armenian startup teams of adolescents receive seed funding in the Generation Unlimited imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge
Five Armenian startup teams of adolescents advanced to the implementation stage in the Generation Unlimited imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge concluding the weekend bootcamp in Dilijan and each receiving seed funding in the amount of US$1000, equivalent to 444,280 Armenian drams.
Launched in early March by UN Armenia, including UNICEF, UNDP, UNFPA, and AYB Educational Foundation, the GenU Challenge received 109 submissions from young people of 14 to 24 ages, representing Armenia’s six marzes and the capital city of Yerevan. The submissions presented a variety of ideas, ranging from how to raise the quality of education, encourage civic activism, boost employment or combat climate change, raise awareness of media literacy and mental health.
The GenU Challenge is supported by the Minsitry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, Synergy Armenia and BodyShop. Out of the 109 submissions, the selection committee of all partners chose 12 promising ideas to compete in a weekend bootcamp in Dilijan on 28-29 May. As a result of the bootcamp, the following eight teams were selected to proceed to incubation phase:
1. Landslide Rulers, Yerevan – the idea is to build bio-geo-cages that will reuse waste and give it a second life, while also helping against landslides.
2. Climapolis, Vedi – the idea is to produce a board game with its online version in Armenian and English that will teach how to mitigate the consequences of climate change.
3. Creative corner, Gyumri – the idea is to establish a non-formal education institutions that offers training and practice in the service industry, aiding young people to enter the labor market
4. Tea&More –the idea is to produce dried fruites and herbal teas.
5. Girlopolis, Yerevan – the idea is to hold a series of hackathons for girls interested in STEM and business encouraing girls to establish their startups, work on their tech ideas and choose a career path in STEM.
6. MeDialog, Yerevan – the idea is to encourage learning and proficiecy in media literacy for adolescents and young people that will support their mental health, resilience, prevent online violence and scams and make them more self-reliable.
7. Vaeli, Kapan – the idea is to establish a bakery cafe that will create jobs for women as well as serve as a social networking place for young people.
8. Eco Koghb, Koghb – the idea is to start an eco-bag factory in Tavush that will prevent the use of plastic bags, create jobs for women, including those with disability. GenU supporter Body Shop has pledged to support Eco Koghb and promote their tote bags Body Shop stores in Armenia.
In the next few months, the project teams will use the awarded seed funding and get additional mentorship from industry experts to put their ideas to practice.
“GenU is about giving opportunities to young people to contribute to the society, about unleashing their potential in entrepreneurship and creativity, as well as about listening to the voices of young people. It’s their time and their turn to proactively tackle social issues in their own communities and, as we saw during the application stage, Armenian youth have no shortage of ideas when it comes to the development of their country and their own future,“ state the organizers.
In July 2022, two of the most promising solutions from Armenia will be submitted to a global judging process. These projects will receive further funding, along with a tailored global incubation programme from Generation Unlimited partners to support them to scale.
1 of 5

Story
30 May 2022
UN Refugee Agency opens its Goris Field Unit premises in Syunik
On 24 May 2022, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, jointly with the UN family, held an official opening ceremony of the UNHCR Goris Field Unit office premises in the Verishen settlement of the host community of Goris.
The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Governor of Syunik, Mr. Hayk Harutyunyan; the Mayor of Sisian, Mr. Armen Hakobjanyan; a member of the Goris community council, Ms. Irina Yolyan; the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. in Armenia, Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia; the UNHCR Representative in Armenia, Ms. Anna-Carin Öst; representatives of the European Union; other UN agency representatives, officials from state and local authorities, community-based agencies and the civil society; as well as displaced women and representatives of the local community. Field office representatives from the Human Rights Defender’s Office, ICRC, Armenian Caritas, World Vision, People in Need, Armenian Red Cross Society, and other agencies were present at the event as well.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Deputy Governor of Syunik welcomed the guests and congratulated UNHCR on their new office premises, and on behalf of the community expressed appreciation to the UN for their continuous generous support. He particularly acknowledged UNHCR’s timely and effective humanitarian response activities targeting the displaced families from Nagorno-Karabakh and expressed his solidarity with the displaced people living in the host community of Syunik.
During her welcoming remarks, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i. expressed her appreciation to the Goris community, the territorial administration of Syunik, the UN agencies and partners for the joint humanitarian response highlighting the importance of partnership and collaboration in solving the issues by offering sustainable solutions to the displaced families and the host communities.
“The UN stands together with the host communities, determined to ease their burden-sharing by ensuring development activities, protection of human rights, gender equality and capacity development leading to strong communities and sustainable opportunities accessible for everyone,” said Ms. Pieters Yahia.
Thanking the community for their hospitality and support by providing UNHCR/UN with the office premises, the UNHCR Representative in Armenia, Ms. Öst said, “The UN family and its partner organisations joined their efforts to support Goris and other host communities, providing a wide range of humanitarian assistance to displaced families followed by community support and capacity-building of community-based NGOs. UNHCR is determined to continue to help the families and the communities, including one of the most hospitable and essential host communities in Armenia as Goris and the entire Syunik region.”
The opening ceremony was followed by the UN delegation’s meetings with the representatives of the territorial administration and the local authorities and visits to the UNHCR and UN supported project sites, such as the newly constructed playground and sport pitch in Goris and community-based organisations in Goris and Sisian: Goris Women’s Development Resource Centre Foundation, Goris Youth Center NGO, The Sun of Syunik NGO, Partnership and Teaching NGO, and Sisian Adult Education Centre, for observation of their activities in progress, and talks with the displaced women, children and youth accessing their projects.
1 of 5
Story
27 May 2022
The European Union and WHO donated digital X-ray equipment to Goris Medical Center
The European Union and WHO today donated X-ray equipment to the Goris Medical Center for use in their radiology room. The donation is part of a larger assistance package, provided by the EU to help boost COVID-19 response in the country.
6 other hospitals in the capital Yerevan and regions have received X-ray equipment with the funding from the European Union. The new X-ray units facilitate monitoring of a patient’s progress and improve clinical decision-making. They are invaluable to hospitals which see hundreds of COVID-19 patients daily. While traditional film X-rays continue to be effective in establishing a diagnosis, digital X-rays allow for images to be manipulated, providing better quality and definition. This allows for precise and fast diagnostics in hospitals.
Andrea Wiktorin, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Lena Nanushyan, the Deputy Minister of Health and Henrik Khachatryan, the WHO Officer in Charge were at Goris Medical Center to hand over the X-ray equipment.
“Support to the healthcare in the regions is essential. The EU stands by Armenia to continue the fight against the virus, and improve the life of Armenian citizens,” said the Ambassador of the European Union to Armenia, Andrea Wiktorin.
“I would like to thank our partners for their continued and invaluable support in the fight against COVID-19 for the past two years. Within the framework of the ‘Solidarity for Health’ initiative- with the EU funding and support of the WHO, an X-ray device has been donated to Goris Medical Center, which will enable the necessary examinations with a modern device, providing better medical care to our compatriots," mentioned Lena Nanushyan, Deputy Minister of Health.
The Goris Medical Center has been among the recipient hospitals, which have received equipment from WHO through the ‘Solidarity for Health Initiative,’ funded by the European Union. The medical center has been supplied with 1 electrocardiogram machine and 3 oxygen concentrators, which helped hundreds of patients recover from severe illness, caused by COVID-19.
The guests also visited the ''Vaccination is Care'' campaign at Goris policlinics and spoke with health workers to hear about their first-hand experience and challenges they face with vaccine deployment. The "Vaccination is care” campaign, implemented within the European Union/WHO action to support deployment of COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination in Armenia and in close cooperation of Ministry of Health, is aimed at making the Covid-19 vaccination more accessible for people over 65 living in the marzes of Armenia through mobile vaccination groups, visiting polyclinics, outpatient clinics and community centers nearer to their residence. In addition to COVID-19 vaccination, the vulnerable elderly population have the opportunity to access other essential health services, including screening for non-communicable diseases such as anemia and diabetes.
“WHO has been committed to assist the country with strengthening the resilience of health system in Armenia with focus to regions through provision of training opportunities to local medical staff, supplying required medical essential supplies and equipment, which will make medical services accessible. The ‘Vaccination is Care’ campaign enables population in Syunik marz to get COVID-19 vaccines right in their medical centers without travelling.” mentioned Henrik Khachatryan, WHO Armenia, Officer in Charge.
1 of 5

Story
29 June 2022
UNICEF establishes three preschool services in Syunik marz with the financial support of European Union
With the financial support of the European Union and in coordination with the RA Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure regional authorities and other partners, UNICEF opened three new preschool services in Hartashen, Karashen and Khoznavar communities of Syunik. Children living in these three settlements have never had the opportunity to get early childhood education because the communities did not have a preschool, just like other children living in a number of other small rural settlements across Armenia.
“Only 16 percent of 3–6-year-old children living in rural areas attend preschool in Armenia. Research shows that early learning is crucial for a child's future. It contributes to children's future academic success, providing them with the opportunity to reach their full potential in the future,” said Silvia Mestroni, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Armenia. “Everyone benefits from early learning, including children, parents, the society and subsequently, the state. It has been proven that for every dollar invested in early childhood education, there is a return on investment of 6 to 17 US dollars.”
In these three communities, over 123 children aged 0-6 will now be able to benefit from this crucial service before they start school. Based on UNICEF’s alternative model of preschool services, these centers are cost-effective, allowing small communities to cover maintenance costs to ensure sustainability (more about the alternative model here).
“Not having a pre-school was one of the most pressing issues for Hartashen residents. I am delighted that from now on, 19 children of ages 3-6, are able to attend kindergarten in their own community, without having to commute long distances to get to Goris for early learning, especially in winter. With small steps, we are creating a better environment for our children, an environment full of colours, where they can learn and thrive. At the end of the day, this is vital for a bordering community like ours,” noted Irina Yolyan, Deputy Mayor of Goris.
“Today is indeed a big day in two settlements of Tegh community, Karashen and Khoznavar. Finally, we have preschool centres in these settlements, where 21 children from Karashen and 24 from Khoznavar can attend, play, read and learn. Taking the opportunity, I would also like to inform that the German Embassy has supported us in establishing Khoznavar Elementary School. On behalf of all the residents of the community, I would like to express gratitude to all the organizations and people who have a role to play in this good and powerful cause,” said Davit Ghulunts, Head of Tegh community.
Within the framework of the Future Today project, funded by the European Union, UNICEF partnered with the Step-by-Step Foundation to renovate and refurbish the allocated rooms and bathrooms, providing the new centers with educational materials, toys, books and games. Solar panels were also installed to reduce heating and, consequently, maintenance costs. Within the framework of the program, trainings were organized for caregivers who can take on the role of preschool teacher, providing them with new methodologies of working with young children, especially in mixed age groups.
“In the first five years, children’s brains grow at an unprecedented rate, and the child’s future depends on how much they are able to learn from their parents and teachers and in what kind of environment in the first years of life,” noted Marine Mkrtchyan, Director of the Step by Step Foundation. “Through training and mentoring visits, caregivers have learned to organize the learning process based on child-centered learning approaches, enabling environments, where each child can freely realise his/her full potential. At the same time, due attention will be also paid to group games and organization of practical work.”
“Together with the Ministry of Education and other partners, UNICEF piloted the alternative model of preschool services in 2015, establishing centers in 16 rural communities. By the end of 2023, with the financial support of the European Union, new centers will be established in 25 other rural communities, contributing to progress towards the national goal of 70 percent enrollment in preschool and thereby reducing the gap between preschool enrollment in rural areas and the rest of the country,” added Silvia Mestroni.
In addition, with the support of the Armenian community of Argentina and Hayastan All Armenian Fund, UNICEF is working to renovate and refurbish Goris kindergarten #5 so that children have a safe environment to learn in. As a result of the renovation, the community will be able to enroll more children in the kindergarten.
1 of 5
Story
24 June 2022
Armenia steps up mental health community services for populations affected by the armed conflict with WHO and EU support
The World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with the European Commission and Ministry of Health of Armenia (MoH) launched the Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) in Armenia for populations affected by armed conflict.
With the slogan – Mental Health for All! – the mhGAP programme in Armenia aims at strengthening community-based mental health care to reduce mental health and psychosocial suffering and promote the wellbeing of population affected by armed conflict, thus improving their access to mental health and psychosocial support. The mhGAP programme will be implemented in Yerevan and four Marzes- Kotayk, Ararat, Gegharkunik, and Syunik, ensuring that 20% of the primary health care facilities in these regions are enabled to provide quality and evidence-based community mental health and psychosocial support.
On 16 June, the main aims and objectives of the mhGAP programme were presented during the meeting with head of the EU delegation to Armenia Andrea Wiktorin, representatives of European Commission’s Directorate-General for EU Neighborhood and Enlargement, local government, and civil society.
Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin emphasized the importance of the mental health and the role of the joint mhGAP programme in addressing this issue.
“Putting mental health as one of the priorities in healthcare agenda will improve the well-being of individuals, families and communities” said the Ambassador.
"Ministry of Health highly appreciates this important partnership with WHO and EU. The mhGAP program has a great potential to improve access to quality mental health services in the communities and to address the mental health conditions and psychosocial suffering of the population affected by the armed conflict" said Kristine Galstyan, mhGAP programme focal point at the MoH.
The launch was followed by a stakeholder meeting in Kapan city, Syunik, with the presence of MoH and WHO representatives, and Syunik Regional Administration and Managers of the health care facilities. The participants discussed mental health service gaps in the Marze and opportunities of providing quality and timely Mental Health interventions for people in need at the primary health care and community levels.
WHO representative to Armenia, Dr. Jihane Tawilah, said, “To bring about real change, we need to work towards building more resilient systems in Armenia. We hope that the mhGAP programme will facilitate continuous capacity building of primary healthcare workers and create both momentum and experience for a national policy that scale up the integration of mental health care within primary health services in Armenia” ․
1 of 5

Story
19 June 2022
UNHCR: Global displacement hits another record, capping decade-long rising trend
The number of people forced to flee their homes has increased every year over the past decade and stands at the highest level since records began, a trend that can be only reversed by a new, concerted push towards peacemaking, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, said today.
By the end of 2021, those displaced by war, violence, persecution, and human rights abuses stood at 89.3 million, up 8 per cent on a year earlier and well over double the figure of 10 years ago, according to UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report.
Since then, the Russian invasion of Ukraine – causing the fastest and one of the largest forced displacement crises since World War II – and other emergencies, from Africa to Afghanistan and beyond, pushed the figure over the dramatic milestone of 100 million.
“Every year of the last decade, the numbers have climbed,” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. “Either the international community comes together to take action to address this human tragedy, resolve conflicts and find lasting solutions, or this terrible trend will continue.”
Last year was notable for the number of conflicts that escalated and new ones that flared; 23 countries, with a combined population of 850 million, faced medium- or high-intensity conflicts, according to the World Bank.
Meanwhile, food scarcity, inflation and the climate crisis are adding to people’s hardship, stretching the humanitarian response just as the funding outlook in many situations appears bleak.
The number of refugees rose in 2021 to 27.1 million. Arrivals climbed in Uganda, Chad and Sudan among others. Most refugees were, once again, hosted by neighbouring countries with few resources. The number of asylum seekers reached 4.6 million, up 11 per cent.
Last year also saw the 15th straight annual rise in people displaced within their countries by conflict, to 53.2 million. The increase was driven by mounting violence or conflict in some places, for example Myanmar. The conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray and other regions has spurred the flight of millions within the country. Insurgencies in the Sahel drove fresh internal displacement, particularly in Burkina Faso and Chad.
The speed and volume of displacement is still outpacing the availability of solutions for those displaced – like return, resettlement or local integration. Yet the Global Trends report also contained glimmers of hope. The number of refugee and IDP returns increased in 2021, returning to pre-COVID-19 levels, with voluntary repatriation having surged 71 per cent, though numbers remained modest.
“While we’re witnessing appalling new refugee situations, and existing ones reigniting or remaining unresolved, there are also examples of countries and communities working together to pursue solutions for the displaced,” Grandi added. “It’s happening in places – for example the regional cooperation to repatriate Ivorians – but these important decisions need to be replicated or scaled up elsewhere.”
And although the estimated number of stateless people grew slightly in 2021, some 81,200 acquired citizenship or had it confirmed – the biggest reduction in statelessness since the start of UNHCR’s IBelong campaign in 2014.
UNHCR 2021 Global Trends Report – key data:
By May 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide by persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations or events seriously disturbing public order.
At end 2021, the figure was 89.3 million, comprising:
27.1 million refugees
21.3 million refugees under UNHCR’s mandate
5.8 million Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate
53.2 million internally displaced people
4.6 million asylum seekers
4.4 million Venezuelans displaced abroad
Among refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad in 2021:
Low- and middle-income countries hosted 83 per cent
Least Developed Countries provided asylum to 27 per cent of the total.
72 per cent lived in countries neighbouring their countries of origin.
Türkiye hosted nearly 3.8 million refugees, the largest population worldwide, followed by Uganda (1.5 million), Pakistan (1.5 million) and Germany (1.3 million). Colombia hosted 1.8 million Venezuelans displaced abroad.
Lebanon hosted the largest number of refugees per capita (1 in 8), followed by Jordan (1 in 14) and Türkiye (1 in 23). Relative to their national populations, the island of Aruba hosted the largest number of Venezuelans displaced abroad (1 in 6) followed by Curaçao (1 in 10).
More than two thirds (69 per cent) of refugees and Venezuelans displaced abroad came from just five countries: Syria (6.8 million), Venezuela (4.6 million), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.4 million) and Myanmar (1.2 million).
Globally, there were 6.1 million Venezuelan refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in 2021 (reported through the Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela).
Asylum seekers submitted 1.4 million new claims. The United States of America was the world’s largest recipient of new individual applications (188,900), followed by Germany (148,200), Mexico (132,700), Costa Rica (108,500) and France (90,200).
Solutions:
5.7 million displaced people returned to their areas or countries of origin in 2021, including 5.3 million internally displaced people and 429,300 refugees.
1 of 5

Story
17 June 2022
Displaced children in Armenia unite to play football and create bonds in host communities
On the eve of World Refugee Day, UNHCR celebrates its global partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and its ongoing productive cooperation with the Football Federation of Armenia. In May 2021, UNHCR and UEFA announced their new partnership aimed to support refugees’ access to sport in order to enhance social inclusion and integration in the host communities.
Also last year, the Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) assumed cooperation with UNHCR Armenia for the development of a project proposal for submission to UEFA’s “Football and Refugees” grant scheme. As a result, the “Play Together for Integration” concept was developed, with UEFA selecting it for funding with an aim to promote integration of refugee, asylum-seeker and displaced children through football.
The project is now in full swing in six host regions in Armenia: Kotayk, Armavir, Ararat, Syunik, Vayots Dzor, and Gegharkunik. Currently, around 150 children – predominantly from families displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh – and local children are enrolled in grassroots football teams, enjoying their regular training sessions, tournaments and activities conducted on local sport pitches by community-based coaches carefully selected by the community and the FFA.
UNHCR salutes this project as it aims to unite the displaced and local children and their families around football, help them befriend each other and build stronger bonds in the host communities. By several joint field visits with the FFA, UNHCR had the nice opportunity to observe the project in progress and assess its impact. One of UNHCR’s joint visits with the FFA was to Martuni where the trainings were held in a local school’s sports hall where we watched the children play and talked with them and their coaches during the break.
“I’ve never skipped a training! One day in the winter, I was feeling unwell but hid it from my mom and came to the football pitch”, one of the displaced boys, Manuk, said to us. “I did not want to be away from my team and miss a football game even if only once”, he winked at us playfully.
Another boy, Vahe, was so eager to tell us about their coach.
“We have a great coach, Mr. Kamo. He knows all the tricks on how best to play football and win.” His friend Aram echoed him: “Mr. Kamo is a real teacher – he always tells us about the importance of teamwork, gives confidence to rely on our strength and to never lose heart, and never be afraid of failure,” he said, before skillfully kicking the ball into the net.
When asked what football meant for the children, all the boys started to call out, over each other:
“Football is life!”, or, “Vigilance”, “Henrikh Mkhitaryan”, “Patience,” many said. “Victory”, “Hard work”, “Teamwork”, “Solidarity,” they shouted. They really meant what they said – football had united and inspired them for joint ventures and common goals. “Football can help us overcome all the problems we have in life. Owing to football, we understand our strength, become more patriotic and learn to stand together with each other”, said Areg, a local boy from Martuni.
Two sisters, Angelina, 11, and Katarina, 10, were part of the team, too. They were playing out of breath, enthusiastically making sure they did not lag behind the boys.
“Well done! You are playing with even more determination than the boys”, I came up to encourage them when they sat down for a little rest. “Oh, football is a gorgeous game. Once you are in, you feel safe and protected, you’ve got a whole team behind you”, Angelina exclaimed, “And the other way round: you can come to support your team and score a crucial goal!”, her younger sister Katarina added, who was so restless because she could not wait to play again.
“Football is one of the best games for teamplay. Indeed, it is a beloved and most popular sport that can unite the children, and help them live a healthy life and make friends,” the FFA Grassroots Manager, Lala Yeritsyan, said to the teams.
We were talking to the coach, Mr. Kamo Mosoyan, an experienced football trainer working in Martuni’s sport school for more than twenty-five years, and a footballer and goalkeeper at a local football club many years ago.
“At the beginning, when the teams were just formed, the children were so shy, they were just sitting still and listening to me – I was telling them about football and the role it can play in their lives”, the coach told us. “I was a bit anxious at the beginning as it was my first experience of working with children affected by displacement, and who had left behind their homes and schools, their friends and schoolmates they went to school with or with whom they played football in the yard. I was weighing up my skills, thinking over some innovative methods and ways of how best to deal with the children who were affected by displacement,” he continued his story. “To my pleasant surprise, the warmup time was very short. In no time, the kids befriended me and got wired to playing football”, said the coach with delight.
It was a great day we spent with the team of young footballers. One could feel the ambience of solidarity and dedication among the local and displaced children and their coach. The children were all extremely enthusiastic, playing tirelessly, and at the same time, really enjoying themselves, and feeling proud from having us as fans fascinated by their game, and their teamwork that was created and grew thanks to football.
“No matter where in the world I travel for UNHCR, refugee camps, settlements, towns and cities, I see how football has the extraordinary ability to unite people around a common passion. Through our partnership with UEFA, we hope to use the power of football to connect displaced people and the communities that host them.” – UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.
1 of 5

Story
27 May 2022
UNHCR appreciates the support from the European Union (EU) to conflict-affected families in Armenia
On 23 May, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, organized a ceremony in Hrazdan town, Kotayk province, to thank the European Union (EU) for its generous support that benefited families in a refugee-like situation in Armenia displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) conflict, improving their integration within the host communities. The contribution from the EU, in the framework of the 2021 Inter-Agency Response Plan, enabled UNHCR to provide timely and efficient protection support to the families in a refugee-like situation in Armenia – among them vulnerable women, children, older persons, and people with special needs.
This funding supported the establishment of community support initiatives through UNHCR partner Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) to strengthen peaceful co-existence between the people in a refugee-like situation and host communities, and allowed UNHCR to carry out important activities such as protection monitoring, case management, legal assistance, capacity building, and support to the inter-agency coordination architecture. UNHCR also implemented projects for women, including local women, to promote their self-reliance through livelihoods and inclusion in the host community.
The ceremony was held at the community-based NGO "Resource Center for Women’s Empowerment NGO" in Hrazdan, and welcomed the participation of the Deputy Head of Cooperation, the European Union Delegation to Armenia, Ms. Silja Kasmann; the Mayor of Hrazdan, Mr. Sevak Mikayelyan; the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia a.i., Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia; Anna-Carin Öst, the UNHCR Representative in Armenia; as well as community-based NGOs, local families, and families in a refugee-like situation and their children.
“Today’s occasion,” said Ms. Lila Pieters Yahia, the UN Resident Coordinator a.i., “will give us the opportunity to celebrate the hospitality of the host communities and the resilience of the displaced people who are determined to start a new life, learn and create, and contribute to their host communities.”
“UNHCR sincerely thanks the European Union for its committed support for the families in a refugee-like situation” said Anna-Carin Öst, UNHCR Representative in Armenia during the ceremony. “EU’s contribution has enabled UNHCR and its partners to provide effective and efficient protection and community support activities, including psycho-social and legal support, as well as educational and livelihoods activities, reaching around 26,000 people in a refugee-like situation as well as the communities which have warmly welcomed and hosted them.”
“The EU is very grateful to our partners, in particular UNHCR but also other partners, for their tireless efforts to help people in need and ensure a timely response for effective and efficient refugee protection. For the EU, it is a priority to continue our support to people in a refugee-like situation and host communities,” mentioned Silja Kasmann, Deputy Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to Armenia.
1 of 5

Press Release
24 June 2022
Schools ill-equipped to provide healthy and inclusive learning environments for all children – UNICEF, WHO
“Far too many children go to schools without safe drinking water, clean toilets, and soap for handwashing—making learning difficult,” said Kelly Ann Naylor, UNICEF Director of Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Climate, Environment, Energy, and Disaster Risk Reduction. “The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of providing healthy and inclusive learning environments. To protect children’s education, the road to recovery must include equipping schools with the most basic services to fight infectious diseases today and in the future.”
“Access to water, sanitation and hygiene is not only essential for effective infection prevention and control, but also a prerequisite for children’s health, development and well-being,” said Dr Maria Neira, WHO Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health. “Schools should be settings where children thrive and not be subjected to hardship or infections due to lack of, or poorly maintained, basic infrastructure.”
Schools play a critical role in promoting the formation of healthy habits and behaviours, yet many still lacked basic WASH services in 2021. According to the latest data from the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP):
Globally, 29 per cent of schools still lack basic drinking water services, impacting 546 million schoolchildren; 28 per cent of schools still lack basic sanitation services, impacting 539 million schoolchildren; and 42 per cent of schools still do not have basic hygiene services, 802 million schoolchildren.
One-third of children without basic services at their school live in LDCs, and over half live in fragile contexts.
Sub-Saharan Africa and Oceania are the only two regions where coverage of basic sanitation and hygiene services in schools remains under 50 per cent; sub-Saharan Africa is the only region where coverage of basic drinking water services in schools remains under 50 per cent.
Achieving universal coverage in schools globally by 2030 requires a 14-fold increase in current rates of progress on basic drinking water, a three-fold increase in rates of progress on basic sanitation, and a five-fold increase in basic hygiene services.
In LDCs and fragile contexts, achieving universal coverage of basic sanitation services in schools by 2030 would require over 100-fold and 50-fold increases in respective current rates of progress.
Improving pandemic preparedness and response will require more frequent monitoring of WASH and other elements of infection prevention and control (IPC) in schools, including cleaning, disinfection and solid waste management.
Providing disability-accessible WASH services in schools is key to achieving inclusive learning for all children. Still, only a limited number of countries report on this indicator and national definitions vary, and far fewer provide disability-accessible WASH.
Emerging national data shows that disability-accessible WASH coverage is low and varies widely between school levels and urban and rural locations, with schools more likely to have accessible drinking water than accessible sanitation or hygiene.
In half the countries with data available, less than a quarter of schools had disability-accessible toilets. For example, in Yemen, 8 in 10 schools had toilets, but only 1 in 50 schools had disability-accessible toilets.
In most countries with data, schools were more likely to have adapted infrastructure and materials – such as ramps, assistive technology, learning materials – than disability-accessible toilets. For example, in El Salvador, 2 in 5 schools have adapted infrastructure and materials, but just 1 in 20 have disability-accessible toilets.
###
Situation in Armenia
As of 2022, in Armenia, according to the Education Management Information System (EMIS):
More than 12500 school-students (3% ) and 1580 teachers (4%) in 135 public schools (9%) do not have sewage system within the territory of the school.
Almost 4400 school-students (1%) and almost 630 teachers (1.6%) in 70 schools (5%) do not have access to water (both drinking/portable or for handwashing), and
Almost 3600 school-students (0.9%) and 517 teachers (1.3%) in more than 60 schools neither have access to sanitation nor water.
During the 2021-2022 academic year, UNICEF improved the basic water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in 15 schools in Ararat, Armavir, Kotayk and Syunik marzes, making the schools disability accessible. This year, 5 additional schools will be supported in Goris, Kapan and Sisian communities of Syunik marz.
In addition, together with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, UNICEF plans to assess the sanitation and hygiene services of academic institutions, as well as review existing standards to improve basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services in academic institutions and provide a dignified environment both for students and teachers.
1 of 5
Press Release
20 June 2022
Nearly 37 million children displaced worldwide – highest number ever recorded
NEW YORK, 17 June 2022 – Conflict, violence and other crises left a record 36.5 million children displaced from their homes at the end of 2021, UNICEF estimates – the highest number recorded since the Second World War. This figure includes 13.7 million refugee and asylum-seeking children† and nearly 22.8 million children who are internally displaced due to conflict and violence.
These figures do not include children displaced by climate and environmental shocks or disasters, as well as those newly displaced in 2022, including by the war in Ukraine.
The record number of children displaced is a direct result of cascading crises – including acute and protracted conflicts such as in Afghanistan, fragility in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Yemen and linked shocks exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Just like fragility, child displacement is spreading fast. During the previous year, the global number of displaced children increased by 2.2 million.
"We can't ignore the evidence: The number of children being displaced by conflict and crises is rapidly growing – and so is our responsibility to reach them," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "I hope this alarming number will move governments to prevent children from being displaced in the first place – and when they are displaced, to ensure their access to education, protection, and other critical services that support their wellbeing and development now and in the future."
Crises like the war in Ukraine – which has caused more than 2 million children to flee the country and displaced 3 million internally since February – come on top of this record high. Additionally, children and families are also being driven from their homes by extreme weather events, such as by drought in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, and severe flooding in Bangladesh, India and South Africa. There were 7.3 million new displacements of children as consequence of natural disasters in 2021.
The global refugee population has more than doubled in the last decade, with children making up almost half of the total. Over a third of displaced children live in Sub-Saharan Africa (3.9 million or 36 per cent), one quarter in Europe and Central Asia (2.6 million or 25 per cent), and 13 per cent (1.4 million) in the Middle East and North Africa.
As the number of displaced and refugee children reaches a record high, access to essential support and services like healthcare, education and protection is falling short. Only half of all refugee children are enrolled in primary school, while less than a quarter of refugee adolescents are in secondary school.
Uprooted children – whether refugee, asylum seeker or internally displaced – can face grave risks to their well-being and safety. This is particularly true for the hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied or separated children who are at heightened risk of trafficking, exploitation, violence and abuse. Children account for approximately 28 per cent of trafficking victims globally.
UNICEF urges Member States to adhere to their commitments to the rights of all uprooted children, including commitments established under the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), and invest further in data and research that reflects the true scale of the issues facing refugee, migrant and displaced children. UNICEF calls on governments to take six actions to achieve equal rights and opportunities for all refugee, migrant and displaced children: Provide equal support to all children – wherever they come from; Recognize refugee, migrant and displaced children as children first and foremost – with rights to protection, development and participation; Increase collective action to ensure effective access to essential services – including health care and education – for all uprooted children and families regardless of status; Protect refugee, migrant and displaced children from discrimination and xenophobia; End harmful border management practices and child immigration detention; and Empower refugee, migrant and displaced youth to unleash their talents and realize their full potential.
The global refugee population has more than doubled in the last decade, with children making up almost half of the total. Over a third of displaced children live in Sub-Saharan Africa (3.9 million or 36 per cent), one quarter in Europe and Central Asia (2.6 million or 25 per cent), and 13 per cent (1.4 million) in the Middle East and North Africa.
As the number of displaced and refugee children reaches a record high, access to essential support and services like healthcare, education and protection is falling short. Only half of all refugee children are enrolled in primary school, while less than a quarter of refugee adolescents are in secondary school.
Uprooted children – whether refugee, asylum seeker or internally displaced – can face grave risks to their well-being and safety. This is particularly true for the hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied or separated children who are at heightened risk of trafficking, exploitation, violence and abuse. Children account for approximately 28 per cent of trafficking victims globally.
UNICEF urges Member States to adhere to their commitments to the rights of all uprooted children, including commitments established under the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), and invest further in data and research that reflects the true scale of the issues facing refugee, migrant and displaced children. UNICEF calls on governments to take six actions to achieve equal rights and opportunities for all refugee, migrant and displaced children: Provide equal support to all children – wherever they come from; Recognize refugee, migrant and displaced children as children first and foremost – with rights to protection, development and participation; Increase collective action to ensure effective access to essential services – including health care and education – for all uprooted children and families regardless of status; Protect refugee, migrant and displaced children from discrimination and xenophobia; End harmful border management practices and child immigration detention; and Empower refugee, migrant and displaced youth to unleash their talents and realize their full potential.
1 of 5
Press Release
25 May 2022
Over-consumption in the world’s richest countries is destroying children’s environments globally, new report says
FLORENCE/NEW YORK, 24 May 2022 – The majority of wealthy countries are creating unhealthy, dangerous and noxious conditions for children across the world, according to the latest Report Card published today by UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti.
Innocenti Report Card 17: Places and Spaces compares how 39 countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU) fare in providing healthy environments for children. The report features indicators such as exposure to harmful pollutants including toxic air, pesticides, damp and lead; access to light, green spaces and safe roads; and countries’ contributions to the climate crisis, consumption of resources, and the dumping of e-waste.
The report states that if everybody in the world consumed resources at the rate people do in OECD and EU countries, the equivalent of 3.3 earths would be needed to keep up with consumption levels. If everyone were to consume resources at the rate at which people in Canada, Luxembourg and the United States do, at least five earths would be needed.
While Spain, Ireland and Portugal feature at the top of the league table overall, all OECD and EU countries are failing to provide healthy environments for all children across all indicators. Some of the wealthiest countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada and the United States, have a severe and widespread impact on global environments – based on CO2 emissions, e-waste and overall consumptions of resources per capita – and also rank low overall on creating a healthy environment for children within their borders. In contrast, the least wealthy OECD and EU countries in Latin America and Europe have a much lower impact on the wider world.
“Not only are the majority of rich countries failing to provide healthy environments for children within their borders, they are also contributing to the destruction of children’s environments in other parts of the world,” said Gunilla Olsson, Director of UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti. “In some cases we are seeing countries providing relatively healthy environments for children at home while being among the top contributors to pollutants that are destroying children’s environments abroad.”
Additional findings include:
Over 20 million children in this group of countries have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Lead is one of the most dangerous environmental toxic substances.
Finland, Iceland and Norway rank in the top third for providing a healthy environment for their children yet rank in the bottom third for the world at large, with high rates of emissions, e-waste and consumption.
In Iceland, Latvia, Portugal and the United Kingdom 1 in 5 children is exposed to damp and mould at home; while in Cyprus, Hungary and Turkey more than 1 in 4 children is exposed.
Many children are breathing toxic air both outside and inside their homes. Mexico has among the highest number of years of healthy life lost due to air pollution at 3.7 years per thousand children, while Finland and Japan have the lowest at 0.2 years.
In Belgium, Czech Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland more than 1 in 12 children are exposed to high pesticide pollution. Pesticide pollution has been linked with cancer, including childhood leukaemia and can harm children’s nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, reproductive, endocrine, blood and immune systems.
UNICEF is calling for the following steps to protect and improve children’s environments:
Governments at the national, regional and local level need to lead on improvements to children’s environments today, by reducing waste, air and water pollution, and by ensuring high-quality housing and neighbourhoods.
Improve environments for the most vulnerable children. Children in poor families tend to face greater exposure to environmental harm than do children in richer families. This entrenches and amplifies existing disadvantages and inequities.
Ensure that environmental policies are child sensitive. Governments and policymakers should make sure that the needs of children are built into decision making. Adult decision makers at all levels, from parents to politicians, must listen to their perspectives and take them into account when designing policies that will disproportionately affect future generations.
Involve children, the main stakeholders of the future: Children will face today’s environmental problems for the longest time; but they are also the least able to influence the course of events. Adult decision makers at all levels, from parents to politicians, must listen to their perspectives and take them into account when designing policies that will disproportionately affect future generations.
Governments and businesses should take effective action now to honour the commitments they have made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Adaptation to climate change should also be at the forefront of action for both governments and the global community, and across various sectors from education to infrastructure.
“We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to create better places and spaces for children to thrive,” said Olsson. “Mounting waste, harmful pollutants and exhausted natural resources are taking a toll on our children’s physical and mental health and threatening our planet’s sustainability. We must pursue policies and practices that safeguard the natural environment upon which children and young people depend the most.”
1 of 5
Press Release
23 May 2022
UNICEF partners with the Public Television of Armenia to produce dedicated series on positive parenting
YEREVAN, 20 May – UNICEF and the Public Television of Armenia launched a unique partnership this week in the framework of the daily Healthy Lifestyle programme to support mothers and fathers to get reliable information from leading experts on positive parenting in Armenian. The programme will feature episodes, entitled ‘UNICEF corner. Positive parenting’, twice a week that have been designed with the help of Parenting School NGO.
The episodes provide practical tips and advice to parents that will improve their parenting skills, relationships with their children and their family, as well as promote a culture of self-care and positive talk about mental health and wellbeing.
“When travelling to the marzes, I often hear from women and especially new mothers that they actively seek information about childcare and parenting but usually come across either outdated information or online sources in other languages. Partnering with the Public TV and Parenting School we aim at providing useful information to caregivers in their own language and firsthand from leading psychologists in Armenia,” said Ms Silvia Mestroni, UNICEF Representative in Armenia, OIC. “The content we developed also pays attention to adolescence as a period of childhood. It’s a unique time in anyone’s life where parenting requires an approach that is adjusted to this phase of development.”
“As a public broadcaster, the First TV channel has an important educational mission to contribute to the healthy development of the society. This time our partnership with UNICEF Armenia focuses on positive parenting, and this is a special initiative for us as it will contribute to a society that has higher awareness of and consciousness about the importance of positive parenting. I am confident that in the future we will have other formats to promote positive parenting skills in Armenia,” noted Mr Tigran Virabyan, General Producer of the Public Television of Armenia.
“It was not an easy task for our experts to choose the most urgent, sensible and comprehensive topics for the series. There is so much to share with parents on conscious and positive parenting, but we chose to focus on more practical hints and on giving parents a toolkit of skills and habits for every positive parent to help them bring palpable changes in their parent-child relationships. We share information and methodology on how to become a skilled and happy parent, as we believe that only happy parents can raise happy children,” said Mrs Anna Velitsyan, founder of Parenting School NGO. “This cooperation with UNICEF gave us an unprecedented opportunity to reach every Armenian parent in every corner of the country, something we as parenting psychologists, could indeed only dream of.”
Follow the episodes on the Public Television at 18:00 or watch them online through UNICEF’s YouTube Channel [https://bit.ly/3MwfgAX].
UNICEF works to ensure wellbeing of families and children through promotion of positive parenting and provision of psychosocial support to parents and children. In 2020-2022 UNICEF has reached over 32,000 parents and children with mental health and psychosocial support.
1 of 5
Press Release
20 May 2022
Almost one billion children and adults with disabilities and older persons in need of assistive technology denied access, according to new report
GENEVA/NEW YORK, 20 May 2022 - A new report published today by WHO and UNICEF reveals that more than 2.5 billion people need one or more assistive products, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, or apps that support communication and cognition. Yet nearly one billion of them are denied access, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where access can be as low as 3% of the need for these life-changing products.
The Global Report on Assistive Technology presents evidence for the first time on the global need for and access to assistive products and provides a series of recommendations to expand availability and access, raise awareness of the need, and implement inclusion policies to improve the lives of millions of people.
“Assistive technology is a life changer – it opens the door to education for children with impairments, employment and social interaction for adults living with disabilities, and an independent life of dignity for older persons,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Denying people access to these life-changing tools is not only an infringement of human rights, it’s economically shortsighted. We call on all countries to fund and prioritize access to assistive technology and give everyone a chance to live up to their potential.”
“Nearly 240 million children have disabilities. Denying children the right to the products they need to thrive doesn’t only harm individual children, it deprives families and their communities of everything they could contribute if their needs were met,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Without access to assistive technology, children with disabilities will continue to miss out on their education, continue to be at a greater risk of child labor and continue to be subjected to stigma and discrimination, undermining their confidence and wellbeing.”
The report notes that the number of people in need of one or more assistive products is likely to rise to 3.5 billion by 2050, due to populations ageing and the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases rising across the world. The report also highlights the vast gap in access between low- and high-income countries. An analysis of 35 countries reveals that access varies from 3% in poorer nations to 90% in wealthy countries.
Affordability is a major barrier to access, the report notes. Around two thirds of people with assistive products reported out-of-pocket payments for them. Others reported relying on family and friends to financially support their needs.
A survey of 70 countries featured in the report found large gaps in service provision and trained workforce for assistive technology, especially in the domains of cognition, communication and self-care. Previous surveys published by WHO note a lack of awareness and unaffordable prices, lack of services, inadequate product quality, range and quantity, and procurement and supply chain challenges as key barriers.
Assistive products are generally considered a means to participate in community life and in wider society on an equal footing with others; without them, people suffer exclusion, are at risk of isolation, live in poverty, may face hunger, and be forced to depend more on family, community and government support.
The positive impact of assistive products goes beyond improving the health, well-being, participation and inclusion of individual users – families and societies also benefit. For example, enlarging access to quality-assured, safe and affordable assistive products leads to reduced health and welfare costs, such as recurrent hospital admissions or state benefits, and promotes a more productive labor force, indirectly stimulating economic growth.
Access to assistive technology for children with disabilities is often the first step for childhood development, access to education, participation in sports and civic life, and getting ready for employment like their peers. Children with disabilities have additional challenges due to their growth, which requires frequent adjustments or replacements of their assistive products.
The report makes recommendations for concrete action to improve access, including:
Improve access within education, health and social care systems
Ensure availability, safety, effectiveness and affordability of assistive products
Enlarge, diversify and improve workforce capacity
Actively involve users of assistive technology and their families
Increase public awareness and combat stigma
Invest in data and evidence-based policy
Invest in research, innovation, and an enabling ecosystem
Develop and invest in enabling environments
Include assistive technology in humanitarian responses
Provide technical and economic assistance through international cooperation to support national efforts.
To improve access to assistive technologies in Armenia, UNICEF, in partnership with UNDP, works to:
Develop the policy framework on assistive technologies, including funding mechanisms, a national list and technical specifications for professional service provision.
Facilitate collaboration between social, education and health systems for unified and coordinated provision of assistive technologies.
Integrate assistive technologies into disability assessment.
Support education service providers on the usage and benefits of assistive technologies in learning.
1 of 5
Latest Resources
1 / 11
Resources
01 July 2021
1 / 11