Food Cards for 13,000 Socially Vulnerable Citizens: Memorandum Signed

Food cards are set to be provided to 13,000 socially vulnerable and disaster-affected citizens for a duration of three months, with a monthly equivalent of $24 in local currency. The program is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

To implement this initiative in the regions of Syunik, Vayots Dzor, Kotayk, Lori, Tavush, and Shirak, a memorandum of cooperation has been signed between the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the United Nations World Food Programme.

Emphasizing the importance of effective programs aimed at improving food security for vulnerable groups, Minister Mikrtchyan highlighted the role of the World Food Programme. The minister expressed hope that through the collective efforts and resources, as well as the establishment of clear cooperation mechanisms, the program’s intended outcomes could be fully achieved.

“Both the state’s policy and the strategic goals of USAID and the World Food Programme aim to enhance food security for socially vulnerable individuals and the population affected by disasters. We hope this pilot program will have a successful trajectory, and we will be able to implement similar state support programs in the future. We are confident that through this initiative, beneficiaries will be able to significantly improve their families' living conditions and alleviate the financial burden of acquiring food,” the minister stated.

With this support, USAID aims to enhance and strengthen the state’s strategy for resilience against potential shocks while also promoting social support mechanisms for populations facing food-related issues.

Nanna Skoun, representative and director of the World Food Programme office in Armenia, also emphasized the importance of collaboration with the ministry and welcomed the launch of this new program. “We are excited to kick off the ‘Food Support Card’ program implemented in collaboration with USAID and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia. This partnership aims to assist vulnerable families in purchasing nutritious food, considering the numerous shocks they have faced in recent years, including food price inflation. Together, we are empowering and providing hope to families in difficult life situations, committing to hand over the food support card program to the government as a tool for supporting those affected by disasters,” Skoun stated.

Thus, within the framework of the memorandum, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has committed to develop criteria for the selection of beneficiaries and the formation of lists, revise and approve assessment questionnaires, and organize the distribution of food support cards to beneficiary households, among other tasks.

In turn, the World Food Programme has committed to conduct a functional assessment of the market, train social workers at the Territorial Centers of the Unified Social Service, develop standard operational procedures necessary for the food support card, and more.

The mentioned program is being implemented with the support of USAID, as part of the World Food Programme’s project on “Integrated Response to the Consequences of Food Price Inflation in Armenia,” in close cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia.