Armenia
The right to exercise freedom of assembly in a peaceful manner and in accordance with the law is a universal and fundamental right of all.
In March, just over 4,400 refugees and migrants entered Europe via Italy,
Greece and Spain. Arrivals to Greece (1,250 versus 2,400) increased by almost 100% while arrivals through routes to Spain (1,500 versus 1,300) and Italy (1,050 versus 1,060) remained consistent with the previous month. In the first three months of the year some 16,640 refugees and migrants arrived to Europe by sea compared to nearly 31,000 that arrived in the same period last year, marking a 106% decrease.
Executive summary
Flooding is a natural disaster that can damage large areas in the vicinity of rivers, and in the case of flash floods, also in the vicinity of smaller streams. The Global Risks Report 2017 (1) lists extreme weather events, of which flooding is the main risk in most countries, as the risk with the second highest potential impact and the highest likelihood of occurrence. It furthermore seems likely that climate change will aggravate flood impacts in many regions.
KEY MESSAGES
↗ International prices of wheat and maize rose in March for the third consecutive month and averaged more than 10 percent above their levels in December 2017. Prices were mainly supported by concerns over the impact of prolonged dryness in key-growing areas of the United States of America and Argentina, coupled with strong demand. International rice prices remained relatively stable.
Global Overview MARCH 2018
It is with profound sadness that we report that three of our staff were killed and two injured, by the accidental detonation of an anti-tank landmine in the Ghazanchi area of Nagorno Karabakh on the morning of 29th March. The staff members were in a vehicle conducting minefield survey duties at the time.
KEY MESSAGES
↗ International prices of wheat and maize increased further in February, mainly supported by weather-related concerns and currency movements. Export price quotations of rice also continued to strengthen, although the increases were capped by subsiding global demand for Indica supplies.
↗ In East Africa, in the Sudan, prices of the main staples: sorghum, millet and wheat, continued to increase in February and reached record highs, underpinned by the removal of the wheat subsidies and the strong depreciation of the Sudanese Pound.
By Yagshimyrat Annamyradov and Rosalind Cook
ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 7 March 2018 - Six countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus are the latest to commit to using the Sendai Framework Monitor, the online tool launched on March 1, to improve disaster loss data collection in order to better inform national and local strategies for disaster risk reduction.
FAO promotes the use and scale up of Cash+ as a tool for emergency response, strengthening resilience and reducing rural poverty. The Cash+ model supports the enhancement of vibrant and diversified livelihoods, providing an important safety net against shocks and stresses for poor and vulnerable rural households. As such, the model has great transformative potential.
The UN Refugee agency has been working in Ukraine since 1994 and established a country office the following year. A host country agreement was signed in September 1996.
Ukraine acceded to the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees and the 1967 Protocol in 2002. A 2011 law regulates the treatment of refugees and other persons of concern in Ukraine In 2013, Ukraine acceded to the two UN Conventions relating to the status of stateless persons (1954) and on the reduction of statelessness (1961).
Working with Partners
Global Overview FEBRUARY 2018
Human Rights Council AFTERNOON
27 February 2018
The Human Rights Council this afternoon heard statements from dignitaries of 11 countries and two organizations and closed the second day of its high-level segment.
Edward Nalbandian, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia, said Armenia continued to implement the national plan of action for human rights protection, had a good record of submission of national and follow-up reports to the treaty bodies, and would submit the Universal Periodic Review second mid-term report on a voluntary basis.
On 20 February the Head of the EU Delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Piotr Świtalski participated in the Community Resilience Forum in Yerevan, along with regional and community government representatives and development programme officers.
Key messages
International prices of wheat and maize were generally firmer in January, supported by weather-related concerns and a weaker US dollar. Export price quotations of rice also strengthened mainly buoyed by renewed Asian demand.
In East Africa, in the Sudan, prices of the main staples: sorghum, millet and wheat, rose sharply for the third consecutive month in January and reached record highs, underpinned by the removal of wheat subsidies and the strong depreciation of the Sudanese Pound.
Our work in Armenia in 2017
In Armenia, the ICRC focuses on civilians living in exposed communities along the international border, missing people and their families, mine victims and people deprived of their liberty.
We also spread knowledge of the international humanitarian law among national authorities, academics and armed forces. Our key partner is the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) with whom we coordinate activities aimed at assisting people affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Highlights
• The launch of the National Strategic Review in Armenia is scheduled for Monday 15 January 2018.
• Yerevan to receive a new loan from the German Development Bank (KfW) worth $93 million to assist with budgetary expenditures.
• Word Bank provided further support to the development of Armenia’s irrigation systems though a $2 million loan for the Additional Financing of the Irrigation System Enhancement Project.
Operational Updates
Children in the Central Asia and South Caucasus sub-regions are vulnerable to poorly mitigated natural hazards, under-resourced social services, and weak governance and protection, despite the middle-income status of these countries. More than 80 per cent of children in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan live in areas of high or very high seismic risk, and 87 per cent of schools in Kyrgyzstan assessed for seismic risk are unsafe. The unfinished child health agenda includes tackling stunting rates as high as 30 per cent and related risks.
Sector Overview
FACTS & FIGURES
300 000 beneficiaries for the entire region from the period of 2016 to 2017
Total disaster risk reduction (DRR) funding in the South Caucasus: €2.8 million from 2016 to 2018
Total EU humanitarian funding: €188 million from 1993 to 2016
Introduction
