A Locally Led Pivot
Rapid Support for Displaced Armenians
Anoosh, a 60-year-old woman from an Armenian village bordering Azerbaijan, was visiting her parent’s house near the Armenian Capital of Yerevan, when she received a call from her neighbors. Her house had been shelled, and her daughter and grandchildren were evacuated to a nearby town. Anoosh rushed back to reunite with her family.
“Our house was damaged by four direct hits, and we moved into a temporary shelter in Vardenis. We slept on the bare floor and desperately needed assistance,” Anoosh said. Although Armenia and Azerbaijan have a ceasefire in place following an armed conflict between the two nations in the fall of 2020, sporadic incidents of border violence continue, including this shelling in September of 2022, which impacted Armenian border communities in three provinces.
At the time, USAID was partnering with two local organizations, the Armavir Development Center and the Martuni Women’s Community Council, through the Local Works program to support vulnerable populations. In the face of the crisis, the organizations urgently requested an expansion of the activities’ geographic scope in order to support the newly displaced population. With additional Local Works funds, both organizations launched into action within ten days. With USAID’s support, the Armavir Development Center and the Martuni Women’s Community Council distributed needed supplies and provided psychological support to more than 4,000 displaced Armenians, coordinating closely with various local, regional, and national authorities.
Anoosh was one of the people receiving support from the organizations.
“Our problems were addressed after Martuni Women’s Community Council provided us with fold-away beds, bedding, and warm blankets. We also received food and hygiene items that lasted for about a month. The electric heater helped to bring warmth to the temporary shelter.”
Chambarak residents discussing local issues while waiting to receive aid packages.
USAID/Armenia
Because of the deep understanding of the local context, USAID’s local partners were able to pivot rapidly and provide timely response. Anahit Gevorgyan, President of the Martuni Women’s Community Council, shared his reflections on mobilizing a rapid and effective locally led response:
“For [Martuni Women’s Community Council], this was the first time that we were able to respond to a humanitarian crisis of such scale so rapidly and efficiently. Usually, the needs assessment and identification of beneficiaries takes weeks. We found that the capacity of our organization is sufficient for providing rapid and well-organized response. For our NGO, it was equally important that the regional and local authorities trusted us, and believed in our capacity to engage in a dynamic and quickly evolving environment. Also, their cooperation with us alongside international donors, embassies, Red Cross, and nationwide charities delivering aid to the region was critical. USAID’s rapid response to local needs, flexibility, and additional assistance was highly appreciated. Finally, being close to the people in the community and knowing their immediate needs was among the strengths of our organization. In collaboration with the local authorities, this helped us to quickly identify the beneficiaries daily and distribute the assistance tailored to their specific needs.”