USAID FUNDS PROGRAMS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
15 Oct 04

The US government provides direct humanitarian aid to Nagorni
Karabakh, which is aimed at solving problems of housing, health
care and education. The humanitarian aid is provided to NKR through
USAID. In the result of the tender the Armenian Relief Fund was
chosen for implementing the program and in September of 2002 a
contract was signed which will be valid till 2007. In 2003 ARF
received its first task. The director of the humanitarian program
in NKR Andranik Sarghissian said, from the very beginning, after
the settlement of organizational problems, ARF undertook a survey
of the buildings needing reconstruction or repairs. 3000 flats were
examined in five regions of Karabakh, as well as public buildings,
which badly need reconstruction. The lists were submitted to the
USAID. Soon instructions were received for the region of Askeran for
the reconstruction of 75 houses, 9 water pipelines, an irrigation
system and 20 surgeries. According to Andranik Sarghissian, since
launching the program reconstruction of 25 houses has been completed
already. Recently reconstruction of the remaining 23 houses, 20
surgeries and 9 water pipelines has been put out to tender. Soon
the contractor will be known and the construction will start, which
is planned to be completed in April of 2005. Works have started
in Martakert. In the second stage of the surveys the Armenian
Relief Fund presented the lists to USAID and received instructions
for 290 houses, 11 surgeries and 5 water pipelines. Building has not
started yet. In November the program for Hadrout will be launched. It
is planned to restore 90 houses, 6 surgeries, 9 water pipelines
and an irrigation system. According to Andranik Sarghissian, the
list presented to the USAID contained 229 houses. He said that the
organization pays special importance to the quality of work. During
8 months after the completion of the work the building contractor is
not paid 5 per cent of the sum maintained by the contract; in case of
a low-quality work the organization has to eliminate the faults. It
should be mentioned that tenders of the USAID are available for both
the building companies of Armenia and Karabakh, which have no less than
2 years of experience and have carried out building of 100 thousand
dollars. Presently two companies, “Vahagn-84” and “Sipan” implement
building works within the framework of the programs of ARF. The health
program of humanitarian aid to Nagorni Karabakh will be implemented
by the medical stuff of the American University of Armenia.

REFERENCE: In 1988 after the earthquake in Armenia the USA east coast
diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church established an organization
aimed to aid the victims of the earthquake. In 1993 the organization
was registered as Armenian Relief Fund. The organization implements
agricultural, educational, energy, social programs in Armenia and
a number of other countries. Owing to the fund, an old people’s
home in Gyumri, a secondary school in Vanadzor and a center for
parentless children in Yerevan were opened. There are a number of
other programs, such as organizing visits of young specialists to
Armenia. The population of Artsakh is grateful for the work done
by ARF. Many send letters of gratitude to the fund. One of these
letters has been published in Azat Artsakh recently. The leadership
of ARF thinks that special attention should be paid to the quality of
construction. This is very important as there are cases when buildings
repaired or constructed on charity means require additional repairs
taking additional costs, causing the dissatisfaction of people.

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN.
15-10-2004

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress