Since September 2023, WHO has been supporting the Ministry of Health of Armenia with the Armenian refugee health response through the WHO Country Office in Armenia and WHO/Europe.  

Alongside the Armenian Ministry of Health’s led response, WHO’s immediate objective is to support critical life-saving operations and the broader public health response by:

• supporting leadership and coordination in the response and recovery periods of the emergency, including the deployment and coordination of emergency medical teams;
• meeting the acute and longer-term needs of burn patients affected by a fuel depot explosion as refugees made their way towards Armenia;
• providing immediate health assistance to ensure continuity of health services for refugee and host populations, including the provision of essential medicines;
• strengthening primary health-care systems and infrastructure in rural communities hosting refugees;
• addressing mental health and psychosocial needs of the refugees and host communities;
• preventing, identifying and controlling any outbreaks of disease in host and refugee populations through public health measures, including immunization activities;
• supporting the engagement of communities and civil society groups into the response, listening to their needs, and providing tailored risk communication messages; and
• building humanitarian response interventions into broader development and system strengthening for early recovery.

 WHO thanks the many countries who have stepped up to support the humanitarian health response, benefitting the more than 100 000 refugees in Armenia.