Ministry Comments on Death of Homeless Man in Yerevan

Today, Levon Yerjanian, a homeless man who passed away at one of Yerevan's hospitals, had voluntarily left the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs' homeless shelter 9 days ago. This information was provided to Sputnik Armenia by Zara Manucharyan, the press secretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

Today, media outlets reported that the homeless citizen died due to the ministry's inaction. According to Manucharyan, Yerjanian had been utilizing the homelessness services provided by the ministry since 2021. During these years, he had periodically chosen to leave the facility on his own and returned after some time, which, according to procedure, is permissible.

“Yerjanian last voluntarily left the homeless shelter on July 15. On July 23, the Unified Social Service (USS) territorial center for Ajapnyak and Davtashen received a call from the police reporting that a homeless citizen had been taken to ‘Armenia’ Medical Center by ambulance with open, inflamed wounds on his toes from the address at Halabyan 67. Social workers from the territorial center immediately visited the hospital, and the citizen was identified,” said Manucharyan.

She added that doctors, USS social workers, and a police representative were present at the scene. The citizen was unable to move independently and needed medical assistance. USS staff informed that they were ready to relocate the citizen back to the homeless shelter after receiving appropriate treatment, but the citizen passed away today.

Manucharyan emphasized that the ministry provides various services for different vulnerable groups (such as children in difficult situations, elderly individuals needing care, homeless people, and others) as needed, including daytime care, home care, and shelter.

These services are provided through non-governmental organizations funded by the state. A tender has been announced for providing temporary shelter for the homeless, social-psychological counseling, and other services, which was won by the Hans Christian Kofoed Foundation. In 2024, the state has allocated 71 million drams for the provision of these services. Currently, there are 100 beneficiaries in the temporary shelter for the homeless.