NORWEGIAN REFUGEE COUNCIL
50 Khanjian Str., Yerevan 375010, Armenia
tel: (3741) 551582, 571798
fax: (3741) 574639
E-mail: [email protected]
URL:
PRESS RELEASE
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is a non-governmental, humanitarian
organization that has worked actively for more than 50 years to create a
safer and more dignified life for refugees and internally displaced persons
(IDPs), regardless of their race, religion, nationality or political
convictions. We work for the rights of refugees and IDPs, assisting with
food, shelter and education – and offering counseling on repatriation.
In Armenia, NRC has invested more that 10 million USD in refugee-targeted
projects since 1995. These include primarily housing construction, but also
school construction and rehabilitation, construction of drinking and
irrigation water pipelines, as well as human rights education and an IDP
mapping survey. So far, NRC has provided new homes for over 600 refugee
families in Armenia.
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On January 25th a ceremony was held to mark the completion of the renovation
of 186 houses and drinking water system in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur village in
Tavush marz. Nearly every resident of the village came out into the sunny,
spring-like whether to mark the end of the year-long project and the start
of a new,
positive chapter in the life of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur.
This bordering village was the most damaged during the conflict
and was identified for the project through close cooperation with GTZ and
World Vision. The project was implemented with active participation of the
local authorities and community members. It is hoped that this program will
lead to some return of IDPs to the village, and hinder further emigration.
As villager Zvart Sharyan stated ‘now that our house has been improved and
expanded, my youngest son can marry and stay in the village. This was
never a possiblity before NRC came. This is a joyous day!’
Profiles of some of the other beneficiaries of the project can be seen on
our website:
Yerevan, 25.01.05