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UN TO HELP AZERBAIJAN
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[02:53 pm] 14 June, 2006
WFP Executive Director, James Morris, has approved a two-year operation
in Azerbaijan, which will provide 26,833 metric tons of food assistance
to 143,500 people displaced by the conflict with Armenia over the
disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Under the new operation, valued at US$15.7 million, WFP will
provide food aid to the most vulnerable of the displaced population,
particularly women and children.
"This is likely to be the last phase of WFP's operation in
Azerbaijan. In order to ensure a smooth handover to the Government
towards the end of the project, the continued financial support from
donors is crucial," said Amir Abdulla, WFP's Regional Director for
the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, in an appeal to the
international donor community for continued support in this critical
period of transition.
Inadequate conditions
Since leaving Nagorno Karabakh 13 years ago, many displaced
Azerbaijanis still live in inadequate conditions and have severely
limited assets.
A WFP Food Security and Nutrition Assessment - the first of its kind
in Azerbaijan - was released last year and warned that nearly 300,000
of the one million Azerbaijanis displaced by the conflict with Armenia
would continue to rely on food aid for the foreseeable future.
Only 40 percent of the households covered by the survey have access
to agricultural land. In all instances most of the produce grown is
for family subsistence.
New operation
In designing the new operation, WFP incorporated the findings from
the survey and took into consideration the ongoing activities of
the government to assist the displaced population by reinforcing its
current assistance and benefit programmes.
The operation is aligned with the State Programme for Poverty Reduction
and Economic Development and will help Azerbaijan work towards the
Millennium Development Goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,
achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and
empower women.
A Food for Education component of the operation will address declining
enrolment rates of primary school children and help stabilize
attendance by providing school meals.
More employment opportunities
A Food for Work project will increase employment opportunities for
rural households, many of whom are displaced people. "Seventy percent
of WFP's beneficiaries are women and children - they are extremely
food insecure. Any discontinuation of food assistance at this time
will seriously affect their health and nutritional well being.
To avert a disruption of what has been achieved so far with the help
of the government, funding is crucial," said Rahman Chowdhury, WFP's
Representative for Azerbaijan.
Over the past decade, WFP has been pivotal in alleviating the suffering
of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis displaced by the conflict
with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh that started in the early 1990s.
WFP has provided over US$100 million in food assistance to Azerbaijan
in the past twelve years to ease the hardships of the displaced
population.
A1+
[02:53 pm] 14 June, 2006
WFP Executive Director, James Morris, has approved a two-year operation
in Azerbaijan, which will provide 26,833 metric tons of food assistance
to 143,500 people displaced by the conflict with Armenia over the
disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Under the new operation, valued at US$15.7 million, WFP will
provide food aid to the most vulnerable of the displaced population,
particularly women and children.
"This is likely to be the last phase of WFP's operation in
Azerbaijan. In order to ensure a smooth handover to the Government
towards the end of the project, the continued financial support from
donors is crucial," said Amir Abdulla, WFP's Regional Director for
the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, in an appeal to the
international donor community for continued support in this critical
period of transition.
Inadequate conditions
Since leaving Nagorno Karabakh 13 years ago, many displaced
Azerbaijanis still live in inadequate conditions and have severely
limited assets.
A WFP Food Security and Nutrition Assessment - the first of its kind
in Azerbaijan - was released last year and warned that nearly 300,000
of the one million Azerbaijanis displaced by the conflict with Armenia
would continue to rely on food aid for the foreseeable future.
Only 40 percent of the households covered by the survey have access
to agricultural land. In all instances most of the produce grown is
for family subsistence.
New operation
In designing the new operation, WFP incorporated the findings from
the survey and took into consideration the ongoing activities of
the government to assist the displaced population by reinforcing its
current assistance and benefit programmes.
The operation is aligned with the State Programme for Poverty Reduction
and Economic Development and will help Azerbaijan work towards the
Millennium Development Goals to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,
achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and
empower women.
A Food for Education component of the operation will address declining
enrolment rates of primary school children and help stabilize
attendance by providing school meals.
More employment opportunities
A Food for Work project will increase employment opportunities for
rural households, many of whom are displaced people. "Seventy percent
of WFP's beneficiaries are women and children - they are extremely
food insecure. Any discontinuation of food assistance at this time
will seriously affect their health and nutritional well being.
To avert a disruption of what has been achieved so far with the help
of the government, funding is crucial," said Rahman Chowdhury, WFP's
Representative for Azerbaijan.
Over the past decade, WFP has been pivotal in alleviating the suffering
of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis displaced by the conflict
with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh that started in the early 1990s.
WFP has provided over US$100 million in food assistance to Azerbaijan
in the past twelve years to ease the hardships of the displaced
population.