LIFE BELOW POVERTY LEVEL IN ARMENIAN VILLAGES
ArmInfo News Agency, Armenia
Nov 21 2006
The unbearable living conditions of Armenian villagers have proved in
the focus of attention of the International Charitable Organization
Mission East, which is engaged in revealing the social, education and
health problems, in particular, in the families with disabled children.
Recently, in the course of a visit to Armavir region, where the
organization has been implementing a pilot program of protection
of rights of the disabled, ArmInfo’s correspondent faced the life
below the poverty level on the example of two families. In the first
family, new-born infants died from unbearable living conditions and
irresponsible attitude of parents, despite the assistance of the local
authorities and the above charitable organization. The second family
lost 5 of 6 children for lack of money for treatment.
Majority of childbirth cases at home are not registered in any official
document, while the Health Ministry every year announces a reduction of
the childbirth cases at home, as well as of the date-rate of children
and mothers. However, in the above families, majority of the children
had no birth certificates. According to Vice Governor of Armavir region
L. Muradyan, the date-rate of infants in the region is 11.2 pro mil,
i.e. 11 of 1,000 infants die. She said no cases of maternal death
have been registered in the region in 2006.
The number of the socially unsecured in the region totaled 5,737
people. Those registered in the lists of "Paros" allowance system
number 3,224 people. According to the National Statistical Service
of Armenia, infants death-rate throughout Armenia in 2006 as against
2005 has grown by 2.8 pro mil, mothers’ date-rate is by 3 cases more.
Kim Arzner, Mission East Director, says the pilot program for
protection of rights of the disabled from socially unsecured families
worth a total of $1.6 million, may be continued also in Gegharkunik
and Tavush regions in case if its implementation in Armavir is a
success. Mission East has been operating in Armenia for already 15
years implementing various social programs. According to the monitoring
of the organization, at least 5 families in each community in Armenia
live in unbearable conditions.