VZCZCXRO0730
RR RUEHDBU RUEHLN RUEHSK RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHYE #0304/01 1310452
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 110452Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY YEREVAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9011
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 000304 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND PRM/ECA (MJOHNSON) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PRFE IZ AM
SUBJECT: EMBASSY YEREVAN PROPOSAL FOR FY 2009 JULIA TAFT FUND FOR 
 
REFUGEES 
 
REF:  A) STATE 14280, B) 2008 Yerevan 000317 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. SUMMARY: Embassy Yerevan, Armenia, requests USD 20,000 in Taft 
Refugee Funds for the one-time support of YMCA Shelter NGO to 
provide ethnic Armenian refugees from Iraq with furniture in a newly 
renovated state refugee shelter located in Darbnik village of Ararat 
region.  YMCA Shelter NGO is a longstanding implementing partner of 
UNHCR-Armenia for ongoing support to refugees.  The Taft fund grant 
will complement furniture purchased by UNHCR for the Darbnik shelter 
(adding to what UNHCR has already purchased), thus helping to secure 
basic living conditions for 46 Iraqi families that will move into 
the shelter shortly.  END SUMMARY. 
 
---------- 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
 
¶2. As of February 2009 the State Migration Agency (SMA) in Armenia 
has registered about 1,000 refugees from Iraq.  The overwhelming 
majority of these Iraqi refugees are of Armenian origin, and fled 
the generalized violence in Iraq associated with ethnic and 
religious persecution.  According to UNHCR the flow of Iraqi 
refugees, which started back in 2003, has now almost stopped. 
However, these 1,000 refugees (about 150 families) have indicated 
that they want to resettle permanently in Armenia.  While both the 
Armenian government and population are receptive towards Armenian 
refugees in general and especially to Armenians from Iraq, the 
refugees face integration challenges in Armenia. 
 
¶3. In 2008 UNHCR and SMA conducted a profiling exercise with regard 
to Iraqi refugees in Armenia to identify the most urgent 
socio-economic needs of this group.  According to the preliminary 
results, the most critical issues are shelter and a lack of job 
opportunities.  Almost all Iraqi refugees are currently living in 
rented apartments, paying substantial amounts from their already 
scarce family resources, making it difficult for them to meet their 
basic needs in food, health and education.  The situation is further 
aggravated by the ongoing financial crisis, which continues to 
impact negatively the socio-economic situation of the country as a 
whole.  The impact of this crisis (which will likely get worse in 
coming months) on vulnerable groups such as refugees is expected to 
be devastating. 
 
------------- 
JUSTIFICATION 
------------- 
 
¶4. In March 2009 UNHCR, through the YMCA Shelter NGO, remodeled and 
renovated the former Agricultural College building in Darbnik 
village, creating 46 (new but empty) 1 - 3 bedroom apartments to be 
provided to the most vulnerable Iraqi refugee families (ref B).  The 
funding requested herein will help to secure basic living conditions 
for these families by furnishing the apartments with basic furniture 
sets.  These are expensive given the refugees' modest resources, and 
beyond what the families can afford.  Hence, the provision of 
furniture in the apartments will serve as a durable solution for 
vulnerable Iraqi refugees who did not bring furniture or belongings 
with them, and were compelled to move from one place to another in 
search of cheaper furnished apartments.  The procured furniture will 
remain the property of the "Dormitories" CJSC (Closed Joint-Stock 
Company) of the Ministry of Territorial Administration (in charge of 
maintenance and management of this shelter), and will continue to 
serve new refugee families that will move into the building once the 
status of the initially settled families improves and they relocate. 
 
 
------------------------------------------ 
DESCRIPTION OF IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. YMCA Shelter NGO, which is a trusted and reliable implementing 
partner of UNHCR, will organize the procurement.  With the requested 
funding, the NGO will procure basic furniture sets (beds, kitchen 
cupboards and chairs) for 31 apartments in the Darbnik shelter, with 
UNHCR having already procured furniture for the remaining 15 
apartments.  The requested USD 20,000 will fully cover the basic 
furniture needs for the shelter.  Funds will be transferred to the 
bank account of YMCA Shelter, which will conduct all preparatory 
work and implement the procurement in line with UNHCR procurement 
guidelines.  The NGO will disburse funds to the identified vendor 
based on separate procurement contracts.  The transportation and 
assembly of the furniture is included in the quotation below.  A 
guarantee period will be defined to ensure proper quality of the 
furniture.  UNHCR will provide full guidance and support to YMCA 
 
YEREVAN 00000304  002 OF 002 
 
 
Shelter for the organization of the procurement. 
 
---------------- 
BUDGET BREAKDOWN 
---------------- 
 
ITEM       QUANTITY   TOTAL COST   UNIT COST 
----       --------   ----------   --------- 
Kitchen 
Cupboard      46       USD 6,900    USD 150 
 
Bed           66       USD 9,900    USD 150 
 
Chair         80       USD 3,200    USD 40 
 
GRAND TOTAL           USD 20,000 
-----------           ---------- 
 
------------------------------------- 
IDENTIFICATION OF IMPLEMENTING AGENCY 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. YMCA Shelter NGO was established in 1994, and has become UNHCR's 
main implementing partner for the construction of shelters for 
refugee families.  Since 1994 YMCA Shelter, through UNHCR funding 
and other co-funding donors, has provided more than 4,500 refugee 
families with permanent and social housing.  The NGO has gained 
considerable knowledge and experience in managing shelter projects 
funded by both local and international donor organizations, and 
foreign governments. 
 
¶8. Conoff, in his capacity as Grants Officer Representative (GOR) 
for the FY08 Taft Refugee Fund grant, and POL/ECON Assistant visited 
the shelter in Darbnik village on April 16, 2009 along with UNHCR 
and representatives of the NGO YMCA Shelter.  The shelter is 
scheduled to open in mid-May.  Conoff verified the need for this 
additional furniture, reviewed the quotes with NGO YMCA Shelter, and 
confirmed that the furniture is available for immediate purchase and 
delivery.  We are sending photos of the Darbnik village shelter 
separately to PRM/ECA (M. Johnson) by e-mail. 
 
------------------ 
POST CERTIFICATION 
------------------ 
 
¶9. Post has reviewed the code of conduct signed by the Executive 
Director of YMCA Shelter NGO, Gagik Muradyan, as the implementing 
partner of UNHCR.  Mr. Muradyan will be the point of contact for 
this grant.  Post certifies that it has the authority and capacity 
at post to award a grant to YMCA Shelter NGO prior to the end of the 
fiscal year.  Our Public Affairs and Grant Officer, Thomas 
Mittnacht, will sign the grant. 
 
 
YOVANOVITCH