Azerbaijan: Activity highlights for 2023
We worked in close partnership with various government entities and our partners under the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. In Karabakh, the ICRC continued support and assistance to those in need. Following the 19-20 September operations, we temporarily scaled up our response, including the deployment of staff specialized in the fields of protection, health, forensics, and weapon contamination to respond to the humanitarian needs.
Our efforts to raise awareness about the danger of landmines and unexploded ordnance reached more than 13,000 people in conflict-affected communities through different activities including door-to-door sessions conducted in partnership with the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society (AzRCS) and awareness sessions in tea houses. We also distributed 8,000 risk education items including posters, booklets and activity books to raise awareness. As many as 1,500 mine warning signs were donated to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) to mark mined areas.
In line with our mandate, we continued supporting the authorities concerned to provide answers to the families of people missing in relation to the conflict. In 2023, we donated various items and provided technical expertise for exhumation works conducted in three gravesites. Over 100 attendees representing national organizations involved in efforts to clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing people joined various training sessions organized by the ICRC in partnership with the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.
More than 7,000 people were able to improve their livelihood through our projects supporting communities affected by conflict.
As the guardian of international humanitarian law (IHL), we conducted training sessions and seminars promoting IHL among 930 officers and cadets of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, and 384 legal professionals, government representatives, and National Society volunteers.
We also helped to develop the knowledge and skills of AzRCS volunteers. Over 100 volunteers benefited from various training sessions and seminars on topics like disaster risk reduction, first aid, communication and the basics of IHL.
Highlights of our activities:
• 13,369 people joined risk and safer behaviour sessions, conducted in partnership with the AzRCS, raising their awareness of mine risks and weapon contamination and building resilience.
• 5,202 people benefited from curative consultations and routine vaccination services at primary-health-care centres upgraded by the ICRC.
• 3,474 people received high quality seed as part of a Potato Production project to increase productivity.
• 2,602 individual support sessions were conducted for 221 children and adults by ICRC psychologists and national mental health professionals trained and supervised by the ICRC.
• 2,356 families of missing people were contacted by accompaniers and 129 of them received basic psychosocial support.
