On October 10, at the Yerevan office of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), representatives of the Hanganak NGO held a meeting with the FAR Health Programs Director Hambardzum Simonyan, and the founder and president of Association of Healthcare and Assistance to Older People Artur Torosyan. Health Programs Coordinator of the FAR Arno Hovhannisyan was also present at the meeting. It’s worth noting that even before the genocidal blockade of Artsakh, at the end of September 2022, Hambardzum Simonyan and Arno Hovhannisyan visited the Hanganak office in Stepanakert to meet on the spot and discuss cooperation opportunities. And already in September 2023, under the conditions of a severe blockade, the first steps were taken within the framework of the Development of Gerontology in the NKR program; a survey was conducted among a group of Hanganak beneficiaries.
After the recent tragic events in Artsakh, the Fund for Armenian Relief could not remain indifferent to the further fate of Hanganak staff and beneficiaries. The meeting took place at the invitation of Hambardzum Simonyan. He welcomed the participants and assured that the FAR is always ready to support all upcoming programs of the organization. The Hanganak representatives provided more information on the challenges they face and outlined the priorities.
During the meeting, the sides discussed a range of issues related to the efforts to identify the location of beneficiaries and address their most pressing needs. It was said that there is no certainty yet, including with confirmation of the final place of residence of the beneficiaries. Therefore, upcoming activities will be associated with a temporary solution to currently existing problems and one-time financial support.
Unfortunately, in the current situation, Development of Gerontology and Geriatrics in the NKR program has been overshadowed, giving way to solving humanitarian problems. This is the need of the hour and all efforts should be directed towards solving them. The psychological problems of displaced elderly people were also discussed. The Association of Healthcare and Assistance to Older People will address this issue in the coming days.
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