UNICEF Supports Children Affected by the Artsakh Conflict Through Psychosocial Services and Education

Imagine you are 13 years old. Imagine that one night you had to flee your hometown, leaving everything behind—your relatives, friends, belongings. “During the entire journey from Nagorno-Karabakh, I felt scared and very anxious. I could barely hold back my tears on the bus so that my mother, sisters, and younger brothers wouldn’t see me cry. We have been in this camp for forty days now; people here are very friendly, and they have helped me a lot. Now my fear has passed, but I miss my home and our village with every cell of my being,” recounts 13-year-old Armini.

The escalated conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh has left nearly 39,000 children like Armini without access to education and the opportunity to attend school. The trauma resulting from displacement, the sense of loss, and uncertainty about the future have various effects on children. Many face communication issues, difficulties sleeping, and exhibit behavioral changes. All this is further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the overcrowded conditions in temporary shelters.

Since early October, UNICEF has been working with various non-governmental organizations to provide individual and group psychological support to children. By involving psychologists, social workers, and teachers in affected communities, the primary focus has been on resuming education.

With UNICEF's support, over 1,100 children and caregivers have received support from the Parenting School center for parental, educational, and psychosocial assistance, the Armenian Association of Child and Educational Psychologists (AACEP), the Armenian Association of Social Workers (AASW), and the Arevamanouk Psychological Social Support Foundation.

“Understanding trauma and its impact on learning can help teachers develop better strategies to support their students,” highlighted Mariana Clark-Hating, UNICEF's representative in Armenia. “This is also the reason we started a month-long online course in early November in collaboration with AACEP and AASW to enhance the skills of social workers, teachers, and psychologists working in the education sector, reinforcing the support provided to children who have temporarily arrived from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and their caregivers.”

Education that takes into account the child’s psychological state implies that the emotional and physical well-being of students, their sense of safety and belonging, as well as their past and present traumas, influence their ability to learn.

The course has enabled teachers to identify signs of trauma and to be prepared to respond appropriately. “Through these courses, 150 school psychologists have improved their skills in working in emergencies and providing first psychological assistance to students. 900 teachers from public schools in Armenia have deepened their experience working with children who have experienced psychological trauma across different age groups,” noted Irina Khanamiryana, co-founder of the Armenian Association of Child and Educational Psychologists.

The courses have also helped students to build interpersonal connections, avoid social isolation, and improve their self-care and self-understanding. Attention has been given to responding to the needs of students who have lost relatives. The issue of how to effectively collaborate with parents and caregivers in severe psychological distress has also been addressed.

Armini and her new friends are now ready to return to school with the backpacks and stationery provided by UNICEF. Armini and hundreds of other children will receive educational support from trained and skilled teachers and school psychologists during their studies. In collaboration with partners, UNICEF will continue to support children to enable them to pursue their education and remain resilient in overcoming the psychological pressures resulting from the conflict.