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Switzerland is stepping up its support for civilians in Armenia and the region through the immediate release of 1.5 million Swiss francs to be distributed among key humanitarian actors on the ground, the Swiss Embassy in Armenia said in a press release on Monday.

In less than a week, more than 100,000 people have fled Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia in search of security, food, shelter, and a future livelihood. The international community, the Armenian authorities and the civil society are working hard to create best possible conditions to receive and support these people, especially in view of the coming winter.

In response to this urgent situation, Switzerland has taken initial decisions to release 1.5 million Swiss francs to support humanitarian efforts on the ground in a comprehensive manner. Distributed equally among three key actors WFP, UNHCR and the ICRC, the funds are directed towards addressing the immediate needs of the refugees. With their specificities, all three interventions will work on hosting, increasing food security, and building economic resilience of the refugees.

The World Food Programme WFP of the UN will utilize a grant of 500’000 Swiss francs to extend the ongoing Swiss-funded REBCA (Resilience and Economic Recovery of Border Communities in Armenia) project launched back in November 2022. With the additional funds, the REBCA project will prioritize the most vulnerable refugees settled in rural areas of Syunik and Gegharkunik regions, as well as their host families, providing them with immediate humanitarian, psycho-social, and economic support. The project will also set-up integration mechanisms to build resilience.

A contribution of 500’000 Swiss francs to the UN Refugee Response Plan (RRP) was approved earlier in October, with the UNHCR as the lead partner. The RRP will reinforce UNHCR’s emergency response to support the RA Government’s efforts to host the refugees and enhance resilience.  As an additional effort, a Swiss expert has been made available for UN organizations for communication and data analysis.

The last portion of 500’000 Swiss francs will cover the efforts by the International Committee of the Red Cross ICRC, jointly with the Armenian Red Cross Society, providing emergency psycho-social and economic aid. The ICRC will also continue to support the Armenian authorities in their endeavor to clarify the fate of missing persons. A specific attention will be put on the families of the missing. This funding is in addition to the one million Swiss francs already granted to the ICRC for its operations in the region in 2023.