ARMENIANS MARK 20 YEARS SINCE DEVASTATING QUAKE

Agence France Presse
Dec 7 2008

GYUMRI, Armenia (AFP) — Armenians on Sunday marked the 20th
anniversary of a devastating earthquake that left 25,000 people dead,
as many survivors still waited for new homes after years of promises.

President Serzh Sarkisian joined the head of Armenia’s Apostolic
Church, Catholicos Karekin II, for commemorations of the Spitak
earthquake held in one of the worst-hit cities, Gyumri.

At 11:41 am (0741 GMT) Armenians across the country observed a moment
of silence on the exact time the quake struck 20 years earlier.

Unveiling a sculpture in Gyumri depicting victims of the earthquake,
Sarkisian thanked the international community for aid and support
given to the then-Soviet republic after the disaster.

"Twenty years ago, all peoples rallied to our side, despite the
Cold War, ideological differences and different political views,"
Sarkisian said. "From the first days, our people felt like the whole
world was with us."

But a few kilometres (miles) away from the ceremonies, in a settlement
of small metal shacks, survivors were still waiting for the new homes
they were promised after the earthquake.

"We are hoping that the government will fulfil its promises and in
the next two years we will finally receive a new apartment," said
Suzana Gyoletsian, 40, whose family, along with dozens of others in
the settlement, still live in one-room metal cabins provided in the
weeks after the quake.

Nearly 7,000 families remain homeless after their houses and apartment
buildings were destroyed in the quake, despite repeated government
promises to build them new homes.

Gyoletsian and her husband raised two sons in the tiny cabin, which
has neither gas for heating nor running water. Their only income is
a small government pension of about 100 dollars (79 euros) per month.

Armenia’s government announced plans last month to spend 252 million
dollars (199 million euros) for reconstruction efforts starting next
year, aimed at finally rehousing all those who lost their homes in
the quake by 2013.

"I believe, and I will ensure, that in the next few years there will
not be one family in the affected area without a roof over their
heads, despite the global financial crisis," Sarkisian said at the
ceremony Sunday.

Gyoletsian, who after the quake spent six hours in the rubble of her
apartment building waiting to be rescued, is hoping that this time
the government help will finally come through.

"This has been a very difficult time. We have had to overcome a lot
of obstacles, but we haven’t lost hope," she said.

The 7.0 magnitude quake struck Armenia on December 7, 1988 with its
epicentre near the town of Spitak, in the mountainous northwest of
the country.

Spitak, a town of about 4,000 people, was completely destroyed and
nearby Gyumri was heavily damaged. In total, about 25,000 people were
killed, more than 140,000 were injured and more than half a million
lost their homes.

Experts blamed shoddy construction and the failure of emergency
services for much of the death and destruction. In some cases, it
took up to three days for rescuers to reach affected areas.

In the aftermath of the quake, the Soviet government vowed a massive
reconstruction effort to rebuild within two years, but plans stalled
when Armenia gained its independence in 1991.

Subsequent Armenian governments have struggled to find funds to
rebuild as Armenia’s economy collapsed after independence and it was
hit by economic embargoes from neighbours Azerbaijan and Turkey over
Yerevan’s support for separatists in Azerbaijan’s breakaway region
of Nagorny Karabakh.

In a statement Sunday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev paid tribute
to the earthquake victims and thanked Armenians for remembering the
aid Russian had provided.

"We bow our heads before the memory of the thousands of victims of this
natural disaster. We remember with deep respect and gratitude today
the courage of the rescuers who answered the call for help." he said.

"In this hour of difficulty Russia quickly extended a helping hand to
Armenia, made its contribution to the rescue operation and recovery
work. It is cause for gratitude that the memory of this is carefully
preserved by the Armenian people."