Air Raid Alarms Are Issued to Keep Us Vigilant, Says Armen Pambukhchyan

The Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations, Armen Pambukhchyan, presents the functions of the Ministry during the state of war. According to Armenpress, Pambukhchyan stated that there is a clear separation of sectors within the ministry, but currently, the entire ministry is focused on servicing all branches arising from the war.

“For emergencies, the organization of civil defense is a priority, which is included in the ministry's charter, meaning that regardless of the situation, that function must be executed and is being executed. In wartime, there are additional functions that the Ministry of Emergency Situations has taken on; a social and material supply headquarters has been established. By order of the minister, a working group has also been created, which performs several functions that provide support to the rear, particularly humanitarian aid,” noted the Deputy Minister.

He explained that all food, clothing, and hygiene supplies collected by a group of citizens are documented by the ministry (with transfer and reception acts). The Deputy Minister emphasized that this assistance is collected at one designated location belonging to the ministry, where all items are sorted—perishable and non-perishable food, clothing, water, and everything else. “Humanitarian aid goes first to the front line and then to citizens in shelters in Artsakh. Any food that we do not need at the moment is transferred to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, which then provides it to citizens who have arrived from Artsakh. The entire process is coordinated by the state minister of Artsakh, who informs where there is a need, and we learn from there what the demand is,” Pambukhchyan noted, adding that currently, there is no need for clothing and homemade food is not accepted due to perceived risks by the Food Safety Inspection body. Mainly, dry food, canned goods, sugar, sweets, water, and hygiene supplies are being accepted. Vegetables, lentils, rice, and similar foods are sent to prepare various dishes for individuals in shelters in Artsakh.

The Emergency Response Service also provides medical assistance. “We have a field hospital where first aid is given to injured soldiers. Our specialists also provide psychological support, mainly to citizens who have arrived from Artsakh. We also have a State Academy of Crisis Management where cultural events for children are organized,” the Deputy Minister said.

Speaking about the air raid alarm signal, Pambukhchyan mentioned that there have not been significant changes in this field since the Artsakh war, but sufficient work has been done in recent years and continues. “In the field of civil defense, three functions are being performed—registration, archival storage, and alerting. The registration process is almost completed, and archival storage is being done through community administrations and administrative regions, regarding where citizens should temporarily shelter in the event of an air raid. We issue alerts through sirens, which we have tested several times. We also inform via messages, in which we cooperate with our communication operators. The information is also transferred through mass media. I ask our citizens not to be afraid when they hear that signal; it is issued to keep us vigilant,” highlighted Pambukhchyan.

He added that representatives of associations are currently visiting homes to inform citizens about what actions to take in the event of a real signal. “Employees from Armenia have gone to Artsakh to help their colleagues there. They are delivering food to citizens and partially addressing the consequences of destruction. Currently, the Ministry of Emergency Situations is able to service such volumes with its resources, and it would be good for our organization to remain well-equipped in the future, as this war showed that the role of the Emergency Situations Ministry is quite significant during wartime,” emphasized the Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations.