Executive Summary
During the month of February, World Vision Azerbaijan
distributed over 695 MT of supplementary food rations to 47,195
beneficiaries from the areas served by the Mingechevir operation,
and over 503 MT of food to 25,252 beneficiaries from the areas
served by the Imishli operation. World Vision is expanding the
current WFP supplemental food distribution to include an
additional 87,000 beneficiaries and 13 districts in central and
south-central Azerbaijan. UNHCR donated 10,000 blankets and
100,000 vegetable seed packets to WV. QIIP provided $82,800 in
loans to create and expand 155 IDP businesses. CSRP continues
work on 15 large public buildings in Sumgait, home to 5,628
beneficiaries. WV Community Outreach provided clothing and
educational materials to IDP children and schools in Sumgait.
Nutritional survey continues in 30 districts in which WV/WFP food
distribution program operates.
1. Supplemental Food Assistance
The second month of the first round of the 1998 distribution
of World Food Programme (WFP) supplementary food rations to
thirty districts throughout Azerbaijan was completed on 28
February. During February, over 695 MT of supplementary food
rations of flour, peas, oil and sugar have been distributed to
47,195 beneficiaries from the areas served by the Mingechevir
operation, while over 503 MT of food was distributed to 25,252
beneficiaries from the areas served by the Imishli operation.
World Vision's Imishli food distribution program
commenced this month. The distribution will provide 1,800 MT or
three months of emergency food aid to 87,000 refugees and IDPs in
13 districts in central and southcentral Azerbaijan.
UNHCR has donated 10,000 blankets and 100,000 vegetable seed
packets to WV for distribution to IDP families in Ganje,
Mingechevir and Imishli. These blankets and seed packets will be
distributed to IDP families as part of our food distribution at
selected sites in March.
The Food For Work program involves 124 families in Ganje and
Mingechevir, with FFW work projects addressing various needs of
the IDP community in these areas. These projects provide food for
the target beneficiaries for an additional period of time in
return for work that will benefit the community. Projects include
improved housing, sanitation, income generating initiatives, and
health education and awareness. Additionally, FFW will be used to
package UNHCR vegetable seed packets into family packs for future
distribution.
2. Income Generation
The Quick Impact Income Project (QIIP) seeks to provide small
loans for business creation among IDPs, to increase family
income, food security and standards of living of IDP families in
Ganje, Mingechevir, Gazakh and Baku/Sumgait. In February, $82,800
in loans has been disbursed, with an average loan size of $534
for the month. An additional 155 QIIP-supported businesses have
been created or expanded. QIIP currently has 889 active loan
clients. Since its inception, QIIP has lent out over $712,000, to
start or expand a total of 2,253 businesses. Of these
2,253 business loans, 1,763 have been new loans (78%), while 490
have been repeat loans (22%). Of the 2,253 businesses, 932 or 41%
have been women-owned businesses. The repayment rate on loans has
been 95%, and participant families have reported an average
increase in household income of over 100%.
3. Community Shelter Rehabilitation Project (CSRP)
CSRP continues rehabilitation work on 15 large public
buildings in Sumgait, home to 5,628 beneficiaries. Work on Site
1, consisting of 7 buildings home to 580 families is completed.
Toolkits were distributed to identified craftsmen from these
buildings in order to begin on-going maintenance by the
communities.
A computerized database of screened and approved local
contractors has been finalized. Over 200 local contractors are
listed, including information on prior contracts, areas of work
specialty, quality of work, and other information. Of these 200
contractors, approximately 20% are IDP contractors. In the
current project in Sumgait, 50% of all work contracts for the 15
buildings were awarded to IDP contractors. These IDP contractors
employ 75-100% of their workforce with IDPs, both from the
community in the building rehabilitated, as well as additional
IDPs from Sumgait.
One IDP contractor, Safa, was awarded the entire contract for
Dorm 10 in Sumgait, including contracts for roof and room works,
the electrical system, and communal areas. Safa employed 100% of
his workforce from Dorm 10, all IDPs. The work not only provided
needed income to the Dorm's IDP residents, but also ensured
that the community would truly have ownership of the
rehabilitation work and process. Since 1995, World Vision
Azerbaijan has rehabilitated over 475 public buildings and
shelters, providing sanitation, safety and security to over
34,000 beneficiaries.
4. Community Outreach
CSRP's Community Outreach targets children and their
educational needs as part of WV's public building
rehabilitation intervention in Sumgait. One element of this
outreach involves the provision of needed resources to which the
IDP community would otherwise not have access.
WV Canada provided a shipment of new children's clothing
to WVAz. This clothing was utilized by the Community Development
team of CSRP to provide for the immediate needs of IDP children
in the shelters in which WV remains active. With winter weather
especially harsh in Sumgait in February, this clothing was
greatly welcomed by the communities. The distribution mechanism
chosen for the clothing was selected by the community groups
organized by CSRP Community Liaison Workers (CLW). These
community groups, or Shelter Working Groups (SWG), chose to have
two sets of children's clothing be given to each
"martyr's" family - families with a family member
killed in the NK conflict. Following this distribution, the
remaining clothing will be made available to a number of
WV-rehabilitated buildings to sell in community stores for a
nominal fee, with the proceeds utilized as the community desires
in order to address needs identified and prioritized by the IDP
community themselves.
In meeting the needs of IDP schools in Sumgait, WV Community
Liaison Officers are distributing two educational resources made
available by partner NGOs. Relief International has made
available to WV sets of Azeri-language children's books for
use in Sumgait. These sets, each of which contains seven books,
were distributed to all IDP schools in Sumgait in which IDP
children from WV-rehabilitated public buildings attend. Sixteen
schools received ten sets each for use in their libraries, or in
the case the school had no library, sets were given to the school
Director for use in classroom instruction.
Azeri-language children's magazines, published by Danish
Refugee Council and Hope, a local organization, were also
distributed to the same sixteen IDP schools in Sumgait. The
magazine, which contain puzzles, stories, poems, children's
drawings and other educational materials, will be published
monthly. Each school received 35 copies, and will continue to
receive this amount while the magazine continues to be published.
5. Nutritional Survey
The WV nutritional survey is being conducted in the 30
districts in which World Vision currently distributes food
assistance to over 190,000 beneficiaries. The survey began 6 Feb
98, beginning in Imishli distribution regions. This survey
assesses household food security and nutrition for IDP children
and families currently receiving food rations, and is being
conducted by World Vision in order to target the most vulnerable
recipients for future food assistance. Surveys in regions of the
Imishli distribution were completed in February, and the survey
in Ganje/Mingechevir regions will be conducted in March.
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