UNICEF delivers nutritious food packages to for children from Nagorno-Karabakh

Thousands of families who fled the recent escalation of conflict in Nagorno -Karabakh and are now sheltering among different communities in Armenia, are set to receive a two-month supply of nutritious food for children below five years old.

Four thousand food packages – each developed to meet the specific nutritional needs of young children – are being delivered now to families in Yeghegnadzor, Sisian, Goris, Kapan, Dilijan, and Vagharshapat.

UNICEF Armenia Health and Nutrition Specialist Liana Hovakimyan said that the food packages were put together on the basis of a needs-assessment study and in cooperation with the municipalities. “Nutritional diversity is crucial for children,” she said. “We know that for proper growth and development, children need a variety of foods. Their daily diet should be rich with proteins, carbohydrates, micro- and macronutrients. Together with the Ministry of Health, we have collated the two-month packages based exactly on that logic.”

Vagharshapat Municipality received the first batch of 300 boxes. The mayor’s adviser, Ms. Satenik Tovmasyan, said the packages would be distributed to the families in the coming days. “One box is intended for one child. So, if a family has two children below five years old, they will receive two boxes accordingly.”

The rest of the 3700 packages were delivered to Dilijan and Yeghegnadzor, as well as Sisian, Goris, and Kapan last week. Another 1000 packages will be delivered to Kapan and Sisian by the end of December. UNICEF is working to raise additional funding in order to reach more children with vital forms of support during the coming winter months.