Gegharkunik Marz Governor Karen Sargsyan received the acting representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Almaz Burkutov, and the delegation members led by him.

The primary purpose of the meeting was to provide information on the mandate and activities of UNHCR and to discuss current and future cooperation issues with the Gegharkunik Governorate, which were mainly related to the assessment of the needs of the population displaced by the Azerbaijani aggression on September 13-14, 2022 and providing support.
At the same time, Almaz Burkutov was interested in preparing and sheltering the population in emergencies in the Gegharkunik region, the operation of the warning system of the area,  the return of the displaced people, and the restoration of the damages caused to their farms.

"Thanking the UNHCR delegation for implementing the vital and multi-content humanitarian programs implemented in the Gegharkunik region, I provided the necessary information and expressed my readiness for continuous cooperation with the UNHCR. I mentioned that we express our gratitude to the UNHCR and other UN structures for providing the required and vital assistance to our population, instilling hope and faith in those difficult days in a war situation, and keeping all issues at the center of constant attention.
From the first days of the September aggression by Azerbaijan until now, our cooperation with UNHCR has been uninterrupted, and the implemented programs are targeted and effective thanks to that cooperation. As for the problems related to the return of the displaced population as a result of the events of September 13-14 to their places of residence, I informed them that thanks to the funds provided by the RA government, the process of restoring the apartments damaged by shelling has started and continues for about two months, as a result of which the displaced more than 90 percent of the population returned to their permanent residences. We are talking about 152 apartments or buildings, the owners of which were given appropriate compensations to restore the damages. Naturally, these families also have other needs. They need support related to wintering, agricultural work, and many other problems, so every program that will be directed to meeting the needs and vital issues of the population of our border settlements will receive the requested support and cooperation, be they humanitarian or security projects.
Expressing gratitude for the reception, open discussion of a wide range of issues, and provision of sufficient information, Almaz Burkutov, in turn, assured that they would be in constant contact with the officials of the Gegharkunik Marzpeter's office to implement the implemented humanitarian programs in a targeted and effective manner," said Gegharkunik Marz Governor Karen Sargsyan.