Why Peace Direct launched an Emergency Response Fund to support local Armenian peacebuilders

On 19 September 2023, Azerbaijan launched an offensive in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, endangering the lives of the 120,000 ethnic Armenians who live there.  

Nagorno-Karabakh had previously endured a 9-month-long blockade imposed by Azerbaijani authorities resulting in a humanitarian and human rights crisis. The Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh was already facing a growing humanitarian crisis when the invasion happened, leaving people with no choice but to flee their homes. In addition to the conflict, an explosion took place at a fuel storage depot, killing 170 people, injuring 300 and over 100 people are missing.

100,632 people have now fled Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia seeking safety. While the Armenian Government and various organisations are working hard to support these people, they are facing food shortages, scarcity of essential products and lack of permanent shelter and an ever-growing humanitarian crisis. 

Our colleague, Lida, is one of the co-creators of Peace Starts Here, and an active peacebuilder in the region. She’s the co-founder of Women’s Agenda, an Armenian-based peacebuilding and advocacy organisation that supports women to build peaceful communities. Lida and Women’s Agenda have rapidly responded to this escalating crisis, joining a Crisis Group with four other civil society organisations to support those forced to flee to Armenia. Women’s Agenda will also work to continue building long-term, sustainable peace, coordinating the Crisis Group’s efforts to prevent any potential conflict escalation. Lida explains why the work of this Crisis Group is so vital:

Peace Direct launched an Emergency Response Fund to support Lida, the Crisis Group, and all those who have been forced to flee their homes. Peace Direct is pledging a grant of $5,000 to this fund. In line with our values and mission, the funding will be unrestricted, meaning that the Crisis Group will be free to use it however they believe is best.

The donations will be used to support all five members of the Crisis Group in their relief efforts and to help those who have fled to begin building a life in Armenia. More specifically: 

• Sose Women’s Issues NGO will support those forcibly displaced with essential items such as food, beds, medicines and menstrual products. 
• Women’s Center Shushi will mobilise a team of psychologists to provide much needed support to those facing shock, stress and trauma. 
• FemForward will lead efforts in securing housing for those who have fled, supporting with associated costs such as utilities. 
• Frontline Youth Network will support local governments in their capacity to provide gender and conflict sensitive services and their integration into communities. 
• Women’s Agenda will engage a team of social workers to support the needs of families throughout their relocations, including access to education or employment and overcoming dialect barriers. 

At Peace Direct, we are glad to be able to support our partners and local peacebuilders in emergencies such as this and want to ensure the funds can be used efficiently and effectively. The funding will be flexible and free of the arduous red tape that typically delays international funding.

Peace Direct believe that for peacebuilding to be sustainable, funders should avoid the typical restrictions imposed with international, institutional funds and instead give local actors the freedom to utilise funds in the most effective way.

Learn more about the crisis: 

Azerbaijan have since declared that the region of Nagorno-Karabakh will be officially dissolved from January 1st 2024. 

Armenians rush to help ‘brothers and sisters’. 

Azerbaijan rejects fears of ethnic cleansing despite panic in Nagorno-Karabakh.