The World Bank has approved a grant agreement of US$3.72 million to the Armenian government to co-finance four of the 25 state social programs designed to support war-affected families. Overall, the grant is designed to assist 20,000 displaced people and about 4,000 host families. Funds for the grant will be issued by the multi-donor State and Peacebuilding Fund (SPF).
World Bank Country Manager, Sylvie Bossoutrot, said: “We are pleased to sign this timely Agreement supported by the State and Peacebuilding Fund Grant. This project is of extreme importance and the assistance granted to displaced individuals and their host families will help to improve the resilience of families affected by the conflict.”
“The project is designed to especially benefit women affected by the conflict. According to a rapid multi-sector needs assessment conducted last December, women represent 70 percent of the adult displaced population. The cash transfers will help them meet their basic needs on a day-to-day basis,” Maddalena Honorati, World Bank Task Team Leader, said.
On September 27, 2020, the confrontation between Armenia and Azerbaijan sparked a six-week war causing extensive casualties, damages, and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of individuals left their homes for safety and the war destroyed important infrastructures and public networks. On November 9, 2020, the conflicting parties signed a ceasefire agreement although the humanitarian situation remains of concern. As of December 2020, 90,640 individuals entered Armenia according to the International Organization for Migration. Subsequently, however, the UN stated that between 20,000 and 50,000 individuals had returned as of January 2021.
