On June 10, a delegation led by Ursula Läubli, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Switzerland in Armenia and Deputy Regional Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) in the South Caucasus, conducted a field visit to beneficiaries of the “Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia” (SEIRA) project residing in the Chambarak community, Gegharkunik region.
The delegation was accompanied by Mkrtich Ayvazyan, Chairman of the Strategic Development Agency NGO, Vahe Hovhannisyan, SEIRA Project Manager, and the representatives of the UN World Food Programme Armenia.
The visit began at the Chambarak Community Hall, where the delegation met with Robert Ohanyan, First Deputy Head of the Community, along with community staff and representatives of the RA Integrated Social Service of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. The discussion focused on the socio-economic challenges faced by forcibly displaced people from Artsakh settled in the community, ongoing state-supported programs and current interventions implemented under the SEIRA project.
The delegation also visited the Kalavan settlement, where they met with beneficiary families who have received support to engage in livestock farming. These families now benefit from a more stable and sustainable source of income as a result of project’s intervention.
The agenda further featured visits to families, supported through the UN World Food Programme (WFP) component of the SEIRA project.
The “Socio-Economic Integration of Refugees in Armenia” (SEIRA) project fosters socio-economic integration by improving food security, creating sustainable livelihoods, and empowering both refugees and host communities in Armenia, promoting resilience and economic growth through agricultural and business development.
The SEIRA project is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by the “Strategic Development Agency” NGO and the UN World Food Programme.