In September 2023 an escalation in hostilities resulted in more than 30,000 children and their families fleeing to Armenia. In the months that followed they reflect on their experiences while trying to rebuild their lives.
Armine and her family have settled in Vanadzor but remember vividly their journey to safety.
“We spent two days in the basement, followed by two to three days here and there, unable to return home. [Eventually] we began our escape. It was September 25, my birthday, and as I looked around at the countless cars and people gathered in the convoy, I couldn’t help but reflect that never had so many people gathered to mark my birthday,” says Armine.
“We've now settled in Vanadzor. We are among four displaced families who have rented apartments on the building's first floor. Sometimes, we playfully jest that we've created a small homeland. It helps lighten the mood considerably,” she adds.
"The people of Lori have warmly embraced us. In our first days here, our neighbours collected funds and purchased essential household items for all of us."
Currently, the family does not have much money so Armine's husband has contemplated going abroad for work. They are concerned, however, about the impact that further separation and uncertainty would have on their son.
Evelina, her three children—10-year-old Eva, eight-year-old Elena, and three-year-old Hrachik—and her mother-in-law, have settled in the city of Ijevan in northern Armenia. Evelina's husband, Arthur, had already passed away. Without a car of their own, their journey to Armenia was challenging.
“We got into our neighbour's car. I had kept a small reserve of gasoline for a rainy day. I handed it over to our neighbour, emphasizing the urgency of finding my son who had been in the field when it all began. He agreed and started driving. I kept calling out his name, as we continued our frantic search until we reached the neighbouring village,” Evelina recalls. She was told that children from the kindergarten were sheltering in one of the village's basements. “I spotted Hrachik. I hugged him tightly,” she adds.
Evelina cannot recall the details of how they made their way to Armenia. “There was a single available seat in the car of one of our relatives, so we placed my mother-in-law in that car. There was another seat available in my brother-in-law's car. I explained to my daughters that they had to share that one. Despite their tears and reluctance to go without me, I convinced them. My son and I went in one car, and then another, and slowly inched forward,” she details. Three days later, the family was reunited in Goris.
After everything that they have endured, Evelina says she sometimes struggles to stay hopeful.
“I find myself occasionally sinking into a state of depression, but then I look at our three children and say to myself, 'Evelina, you must rally your spirits; you have to believe so that your children can too,” 'she says.
“I embarked on the journey with my wife, four children, and mother-in-law. My car broke down on the way. We found ourselves stranded in the middle of the road, surrounded by darkness and rain.” Gurgen explains. The family managed to find space in other cars so they could continue their journey.
Along the way, Gurgen's children fell ill, and they had little food, no medicine, and no means of communication.
“The children cried of hunger. Amidst those desperate sounds, a woman who had brought some flour with her, started a small fire on the side of the road, and baked bread for us.”
The family reached Goris three days later. “There, I finally was able to reach my relatives to make sure that everyone is ok.” It was then that he received the devastating news that his father had been killed when the gas warehouse exploded.
It was during this time that, for three days, Gurgen's 14-year-old son Vazgen stopped talking.
Vazgen's sister, 10-year-old Karine, says they were given a house in Armenia's Berkaber village. “My dad is working on renovating [the house]. It's quite nice here, and the school is going well, but I can't help but miss everything from back home. I miss my bicycle, my books, my dog Topan, and my fluffy cat,” she says.
In response to the crisis, from September to December 2023, UNICEF provided critical humanitarian support to families and communities who have had to flee to Armenia. As people arrived in Armenia, they were given essential supplies including hygiene kits, food packages, clothing vouchers and warm blankets and bedding. UNICEF and partners worked to support the government of Armenia’s efforts to ensure that access to essential services remained uninterrupted including enrolling children in school and providing crucial healthcare. Psychosocial support services have been made available to help children and their families recover from the distress they have endured.
Despite the progress families have made in adjusting to their new homes, their humanitarian needs remain acute. The journey is not over for Gurgen, Armine, Evelina and thousands like them. They need continued humanitarian support.