IR-PREP - Special Preparedness Activities in Armenia

This Operation expired in July 2016

Since 1988, there has been tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabagh region of Azerbaijan, a self-declared republic populated primarily by ethnic Armenians. Heavy fighting erupted again between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces on 2nd April 2016 along the southern, south-eastern and north-eastern parts of the Line of Contact in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone.

Depending on the results of negotiations, the situation might quickly deteriorate again, as witnessed previously due the cyclicality of the conflict. In case of the re-escalation of the conflict, it is anticipated that a massive displacement of civilians living in Nagorno-Karabagh from the frontline area will occur, resulting in a humanitarian situation requiring humanitarian assistance, in particular the support of WFP for immediate food needs.

To strengthen the preparedness and readiness of WFP, to improve coordination, and to initiate and ensure effective and efficient response to the displaced in this crisis, WFP Armenia intends to bring in expertise to assist in accomplishing the following activities:

1. To review the current emergency operating context and strengthen linkages and coordination mechanisms with Government, UN agencies and NGOs;

2. To explore potential funding, coordination and partnership arrangements to implement an immediate and full-scale emergency responses;

3. To conduct assessments and identify the most appropriate transfer modality for a food assistance intervention as well as all features necessary for a potential use of Cash-based Transfers (CBT) modality;

4. To position WFP in the multiple donor/Government emergency response coordination platforms and mainstream the role of WFP in the Inter-Agency Contingency Planning/response plan; prepare WFP to lead the Logistics and ICT clusters, and co-lead the Food Security cluster in case of activation.

The duration of this project will be 3 months (25 April – 25 July 2016).