ARMENIAN OMBUDSMAN APPLIES TO UNO HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES FOR SUPPORT
ARKA News Agency, Armenia
July 16 2007
YEREVAN. July 16. /ARKA/. Armenian Ombudsman Armen Harutunyan applied
to the Office of the UNO High Commissioner for Refugees and the
Armenian Office of the Norwegian Council for Refugees.
The Armenian Ombudsman’s press service reported Monday, in particular,
Harutunyan is asking for support for the Avetisyans’ family, residing
in the village of Kasakh, Kotayk region
At the same time, the Ombudsman applied to Gagik Yeganyan, head of
Migration Department, run by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial
Administration, for information about programs and actions, implemented
by the Department in this region. The reason for the Ombudsman’s
application to the international organizations was the visit of the
working group, assigned by the Armenian Ombudsman on July 13 to the
village of Kasakh for familiarization with refugees’ living conditions.
According to Head of the village community A. Lazarian, a considerable
number of refugees has lived in Kasakh since 1988. He said that
most of housing problems has been solved there. At the same time,
30 families, residing in the territory of a former penitentiary,
have very bad housing conditions.
The family of refugee Avetisyan is especially in a bad condition. He
lives together with his children and two little grandchildren in
the basement of the house #20 without electricity and minimal living
conditions.
According to the working group, the family’s living conditions do
not meet the average standards of life and hygiene, which threatens
the children’s health.
As a result of the Karabakhi conflict in 1988-1991, about 360,000
refugees moved to Armenia from Azerbaijan. More 140,000 ethnic
Armenians migrated to CIS countries.
According to the information of the Migration Department, to date,
80,000 refugees obtained the Armenian citizenship as they reached
the full age. According to international organizations, more 120,000
Armenian refugees obtained citizenship of other countries.