Armenia

This overview document presents incidents affecting aid delivery in 20 countries in Europe in 2017. The report is based on incidents identified in open sources and reported by Aid in Danger partner agencies using the Security in Numbers Database (SiND). In 2017, 113 security incidents affecting NGO staff members, programmes and assets were reported. The total number of reported incidents below reflects the willingness of agencies to share information. It is neither a complete count nor representative.

15 times EU Civil Protection Mechanism (EUCPM) provided environmental expertise to UN Environment/OCHA Joint Unit (JEU) since 2014.

• EUCPM prepares and responds to environmental disasters, including incidents that arise as secondary effects of a natural disaster.

• DG ECHO, operating through the EUCPM, is among JEU’s most important partners.

• DG ECHO's collaboration with the JEU has been constantly increasing during the past years, raising at a level of 50% of all JEU missions since 2016.

Global Overview MAY 2018

TRENDS AND KEY FIGURES

In April, nearly 7,300 refugees and migrants entered Europe via Italy, Greece and Spain, bringing the number of refugees and migrants who have arrived by land and sea routes to these three countries to nearly 24,300 in the first four months of 2018. This marks a significant decrease of 49% compared to the first four months of 2017, a period in which just over 48,000 refugees and migrants entered Europe via these three countries.

Operational Updates

Angela Kirkian was born in Aleppo. She came to Armenia four years ago with her mother. Her sister, brother, and aunt stayed in Syria.

HIGHLIGHTS (MARKET ALERT)

Despite a decrease in the cost of food in April, Armenian markets are at alert level for the fourth month in a row. The market alert is spread across the country, with the exception of Gegharkunik and Kutayk marzes.
After strong real GDP growth of 7.5% in 2017, it will slow to an average of 4% in 2018-22.

Food inflation sharply decreased from 4.7% in March to 1.5 in April, while overall inflation fell to 2.4%. However wages have also increased by 5.5% on a year-on year basis.

The dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of new states in Central Asia and the Caucasus created new political and security dynamics in these sub-regions. While the Caucasus was affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the threat of conflict over shared water resources continued to exist in Central Asia.

HIGHLIGHTS (MARKET ALERT)

Despite a slight decrease in the cost of food in March, Armenian markets were at alert level for the third month in a row. The market alert is spread across the country, with the exception of Gegharkunik marz. On a positive note the high prices are expected to drop in April. A further increase in the cost of food is however forecasted for the summer. The most expensive food is found in Yerevan, where the demand is the highest.

New Report Looks at Past Disasters to Prepare for the Future

Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery: Are we prepared for the next Pompeii?

WASHINGTON, May 8, 2018 — The great disasters of the past – like the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD or the hurricane that devastated Santo Domingo in 1930 – can provide valuable lessons to help governments and institutions increase the resilience of communities in the face of modern challenges, such as climate change and rapid urbanization.

The Republic of Armenia is a small landlocked country in the Caucasus region, with an area of 29,743m² and a population of 2,998,600. The terrain is mostly mountainous, with fast flowing rivers, and few forests. The climate is highland continental, which means that Armenia is subject to hot summers and cold winters. Agricultural lands cover 69% of the territory and agriculture employs 44% of the working population, although agriculture´s contribution to the overall economy is declining.

Global Overview APRIL 2018

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.