UNICEF Armenia official: Assistance provided to schoolchildren forcibly displaced from Karabakh

UNICEF has provided assistance to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Armenia within the framework of providing assistance to people forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh; 5,000 portfolios, with stationery, were purchased for schoolchildren. Alvard Poghosyan, UNICEF Armenia’s Education Programs Manager, stated this during a press conference Wednesday.

According to her, in the beginning, there were difficulties in this regard in order to convince the children forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to return to school because there was uncertainty in their families.

“In addition, there was an open training program that was being implemented in Nagorno-Karabakh. Work is being done in that direction as well,” said the UNICEF Armenia official.

Poghosyan informed that a total of 250 million children around the world are deprived of the opportunity to get an education, and that number is constantly increasing. She added that about 220 million children have been affected by conflicts and climate change.

As per the available estimates, more than 750 million youths and adults in the world are considered illiterate.

“According to the data of the World Bank, about 70 percent of displacements of people were made due to climate change. It is important to remember that investing in the education sector increases a country’s economic growth by 10 percent in the future. Investments being made in the sector ensure 10 times more profit than investments in physical capital,” stressed the representative of UNICEF Armenia.