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Armenia

Yerevan

Yerevan

© T.Kocian

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Armenia is a small country in the Caucasus that PIN associates with the beginnings of humanitarian assistance in the Czech Republic. In December 1988, northwestern Armenia was struck by a strong earthquake which claimed the lives of tens of thousands of victims and left hundreds of thousands of people without shelter.

In response to this disaster, a group of students in Prague announced a collection to provide assistance to Armenia. The public response was tremendous and fifty tons of humanitarian assistance was sent to the affected area. The Armenian collection identified a group of Czechs who were eager and willing to be active in delivering assistance to those in need in other countries. Many of these people played an active role in the founding of People in Need.

In 2003 PIN returned to Armenia and established a permanent mission.

Armenia suffers from large-scale emigration and economic decline due to war with neighboring Azerbaijan and long-term isolation. PIN projects in Armenia are aimed at providing information about the hardships of illegal immigration, through an information center in Yerevan and four other regions.

PIN aims to give clients the skills needed to survive economic crisis and build a more stable future. PIN invests into the reconstruction of schools, day-cares and other public interest buildings. PIN also supports individuals who are taking steps to begin sustainable bussinees activities. PIN is aimed at weakening the motivation for economic migration, which pulls human and financial resources from Armenia.
PIN activities in Armenia also include prevention of child trafficking and child issues in general. Activities reach all different levels from field street work to participation on creation of government policy to fight child trafficking.
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ARMENIA

 
  • Location: Caucasus
  • Neighboring countries: Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey
  • Capital: Yerevan
  • Area: 29,800 km2
  • Population: 2,976,372 (2006)
  • Main Ethnic Groups: Armenian 93 %, Russian 2 %, others (majority Kurd) 5%
  • Religion: Armenian Apostolic church 64.5 %, other Christian 1.3 %
  • Median age: 30.4 (2006)
  • Birth rate: 12.07 (2006)
  • Infant mortality rate: 22.47 (2006)
  • Median life expectancy at birth: 71.84 (2006)
  • Literacy rate: 98.6 % (2003) ♂ 99.4 % ♀ 98 %
  • GDP in spending strength: 15.7 billion USD (2005)
  • GDP per capita in spending strength: 5,300 USD (2005)
  • GDP growth rate: 13.9 % (2005)
  • Unemployment rate: 31.6% (2004)
  • Percentage of the population living below the poverty level: 43% (2003

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