FAO continues to support households displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone

The Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) continues to provide emergency assistance to those in Armenia affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This time, based on the results of an earlier conducted needs assessment, FAO supported 22 households displaced from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone to Syunik region of Armenia in August and September of 2022. As part of its emergency assistance project, FAO provided 8,700 kg of cattle feed to 5 households and 6,200 kg of poultry feed to 17 households.

“The project is implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy of Armenia and the Food Safety Inspection Body to provide rapid response to the critical gaps in support to Government’s interventions,” said Gayane Nasoyan, Assistant FAO Representative in Armenia. “Similar projects provide much needed rapid help, however, more support is needed for these families in a longer run.”

The emergency assistance project was launched in January 2021 to help population displaced as a result of 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to create, protect and reconstitute the means of existence in a fragile environment. In total, 369 households benefited from the project in Syunik and Gegharkunik regions of Armenia.

The project beneficiaries were provided with agricultural inputs such as feed for animals, equipment and materials for building temporary shelter for displaced farming livestock, which the beneficiaries said were of vital importance for their families. In addition, the project included provision of veterinary services and training courses on good animal husbandry practices such as feeding, housing and health care.

Since the launch of the project, two types of assistance packages have been provided to its beneficiaries:

• Package I: 94 households who managed to move their agricultural assets to Armenia and at the time of needs assessment owned up to five cattle were provided in total with 168,620 kg of combined animal feed for cattle.
• Package II: 275 Households who didn't manage to move their agricultural assets to Armenia received 5,503 live chicken and 90,180 kg of combined feed for chicken.