ICRC ICRC - 2017 OVERVIEW OF ACTIVITIES ASSISTING CIVILIANS ALONG THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER The ICRC is an independent, neutral organization ensuring humani- We support the population of Tavush Region, helping to mitigate the tarian protection and assistance for consequences of hostilities felt by civilians living along the international border. victims of armed conflict and other We help village population find alternative rehabilitation of water supply pipelines, situations of violence. Since 1992, income opportunities to farming in insecure building of metal fencing for a water the ICRC has been present in the areas along the border. In 2017, we reservoir, and installation of water meters, region in relation to the Nagorno- consulted with local authorities to prioritize public taps and other technical Karabakh conflict. Through its the villages of Dovegh and Aygepar, where components. Since 2015, we have raised delegations in Yerevan and Baku socio-economic situations are particularly community awareness on safe behavior and and the mission in Nagorno- challenging. Vulnerable households were danger of mines and unexploded devices Karabakh, the ICRC acts as a neutral identified through a detailed household with our partner, the Armenian Red Cross intermediary between the parties survey with participation of local Red Cross Society (ARCS). This year, we held seminars to the conflict to address issues of volunteers, and 57 families received for over 500 schoolchildren in 10 border primary humanitarian concern. financial assistance to start small-scale communities. Also, we organized 19 first- businesses. Additionally, we provided aid courses with instructors of the ARCS, In Armenia, we focus on civilians multipurpose cash assistance to 19 providing life-saving skills and first aid boxes living along the international extremely vulnerable families who were to 205 members of civil protection rescue border, missing persons and their unable to start business activities because of teams, in the scope of the two-year families, mine victims and people their age, health condition or other cooperation program between the Ministry circumstances. In such cases, we work to of Emergency Situations of Armenia, the deprived of their liberty. In build multilateral support from within the ARCS and the ICRC. addition, we promote the community, local authorities and dissemination and implementation With the increased security risks in Tavush organizations to accompany our effort in of the International Humanitarian region, we supported 14 communities to set finding sustainable solutions to their Law (IHL) among national up passive protective measures, which problems. We will continue to work in authorities, academics and military reduced direct exposure of civilians to Aygepar and Dovegh in 2018, while personnel. Our key partner in shooting and shrapnel, enabling the identifying other priority villages for Armenia is the Armenian Red Cross community to live, work and move outdoors subsequent years. Society with whom we coordinate in relative safety. In 2017, we continued to activities aimed at assisting people For the last seven years, we have helped construct safer spaces, wall-in exposed improve the quality and quantity of water windows, and build protective walls for affected by the conflict. available in border communities by kindergartens, schools and other public improving the condition of infrastructure. In buildings, part of which were done thanks to 2017, we supported Voskepar, Nerkin a new partnership with the ARCS and the Karmiraghbyur and Sarigyugh through German Red Cross. Overview ՝ CLARIFYING THE FATE OF THE MISSING We support efforts of all the sides to the conflict to determine the fate of the missing and to bring answers to their families. Since 1992, we have been working on the the ICRC provided the parties to the Ministry of Defense and the Armenian issue of missing people and the plight of conflict an updated list containing around Scientific-Practical Centre of Forensic their families. Under International 4,500 names of the missing people of all Medicine. Humanitarian Law, parties to a conflict ethnic origin registered by its delegations We also encourage the parties to the must do all possible to clarify the fate and in Baku and Yerevan and the mission in conflict to map and protect burial sites whereabouts of people who went missing. Nagorno-Karabakh. This list is a necessary believed to contain the remains of people In line with its mandate, the ICRC offers its tool to help consolidate information and who might have died during the conflict, expertise acting as a neutral intermediary. intensify their efforts towards bringing with a view to their future possible Through our delegations in Yerevan and answers to the families. recovery and identification. We advise Baku and our mission in Nagorno- Since 2014, we have started collecting members of the working group of the Karabakh, we work closely with biological reference samples in the form Armenian Commission on techniques and Commissions on Prisoners of War, of buccal swabs from blood relatives of resources to gather and process Hostages and Missing People and with the missing. In the future, this data can information from witnesses, and to families of missing persons. serve as a complementary tool in identify inhumation sites. We support the Clarification of the fate is a complex identification of human remains when authorities concerned in terms of process which comprises several they are discovered or exhumed. Until technical equipment and advice for components. We gathered detailed data now we have collected samples from 778 fieldwork. on each registered missing person from blood relatives of 298 missing persons. In the family and handed it over for further Armenia, we work on this in cooperation processing to the Commissions. In 2015, with the ARCS and jointly with the SUPPORTING FAMILIES OF MISSING PERSONS We provide multidisciplinary support to families of the missing, by helping them become financially stable or navigate the legal system, and by offering psychosocial assistance. In their daily lives, many of families of the In our work accompanying families missing face different economic, social, through long periods of uncertainty, as legal and other challenges. Most of all, they wait for news about the fate of their they continue to search for answers, fight missing relative, commemoration for recognition, and talk about their activities address families’ strong desire missing relative, not letting him or her for public acknowledgement of their disappear completely in ambiguity and plight, and their need for recognition and silence. need to remember. They help them to find meaning in their loss, and reaffirm Since 2011, we have been implementing a that the family has not abandoned their comprehensive Accompaniment program loved one, while keeping the memory in collaboration with the Armenian Red alive. We helped the families organize 84 Economic support to families of the Cross and other local partners. As part of commemoration and cultural events, missing goes hand-in-hand with it, regular group meetings were organized where they got together to share psychosocial assistance. Since 2011, we for the families to address their issues memories about their missing loved ones. have carried out a housing assistance with specialists and to have a chance for These included tree planting and writing project for vulnerable households in peer interaction. of memory books, exhibitions of tapestry cooperation with the Fuller Center for made by wives of the missing and visits to Housing Armenia. Through a revolving cultural and historical sites around fund, selected families received interest- Armenia. free loans aimed to improve their housing conditions. Other families of the missing In addition, we organized 25 skill-building received grants to start small businesses workshops which involved 202 relatives of as well as multipurpose grants for urgent the missing. These workshops were household needs. Since the program star- designed to help participants acquire new ted in 2012, we have implemented 226 skills in a group of peers and cope better economic support projects for families of throughout the long process of waiting. missing people, including 13 this year. 2 ՝ Overview ASSISTING MINE VICTIMS We help mine victims in Armenia to deal with their wide-ranging challenges. We provide support to mine victims and Cross and the Armenian Center for Also this year, we provided grants to help their families throughout Armenia, to help Humanitarian Demining and Expertise. In 27 families of mine victims launch income- them deal with their multiple economic, conjunction with the Fuller Center for generating activities. legal, administrative and physical Housing in Armenia, we provided 14 loans challenges. We address their issues in 2017 for families of mine victims to working jointly with the Armenian Red renovate their houses. ACTING AS A NEUTRAL INTERMEDIARY We work to protect and assist people across the lines. Being neutral and impartial, the ICRC is in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh highlighting their IHL commitments to capable of offering its humanitarian conflict. We help to ensure that they are distinguish between military and civilian assistance in conflict situations and to able to maintain contact with their targets, and applying proportional use of affected people, including prisoners of families and we facilitate their transfer force according to military