As a result of a concerted effort by the Armenian government, humanitarian aid organizations, and resilient individuals and families, successful economic integration has been a reality for many of the 22,000 Syrian Armenians who initially sought refuge in Armenia since the outset of the brutal and unending Syrian Civil War (GIZ, 2016).

The Syrian conflict drove Apelian and her family to flee as refugees to Yerevan, Armenia’s capital city of just over 1 million people. For Ashot, a great value of welcoming Syrian refugees has been the new cultural diversity introduced to the country.


© UNHCR/Anahit Hayrapetyan. It is a situation that does not bode well for the refugees – almost none are able to find employment and consequently they quickly use up the resources they bring. Activist video captures aftermath of government attack using “barrel bomb”, a day after deadly raid in same province.

“Syrian Armenians have come with great skills, they’ve brought great business development to Armenia and they are also very talented specialists,” said Sargsyan. Syria established diplomatic relations with Armenia soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union.Syrian President Hafez al-Assad maintained good relationships in part because of the large Armenian community in Syria.Around 120,000 people of Armenian descent live in Syria. While some Syrian Armenians are able to find jobs or open businesses, many find themselves facing a multitude of problems. For Apelian and the more than 22,000 Syrians who have reached Armenia since the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, the journey was a homecoming. Zinnkann highlighted several main challenges facing Syrian-Armenians as they work to set up their own businesses and become financially independent. Sahag and Salpie, 12, are twins from Syria whose family fled to Armenia as refugees. UNHCR has always advocated for the rights of refugees, asylum-seekers and displaced people in line with our mandate,” said Anna-Carin Öst, UNHCR’s representative in Armenia. A Syrian businessman who owns two shops that sell Arabic spices in Yerevan, told Al Jazeera his family brought nothing along when they left.

A total of 5,515 hate speech items targeted 80 different groups according to the report, which was prepared as part of … Through data collection on the lived experience for the 400 Syrian Armenians who have settled in rural areas, future interventions can be developed that better target individuals and families who have fallen outside the current reach of aid and assistance.
I don’t even have a house to return to,” she told Al Jazeera. Iraq - 1,088. Many of the estimated 100,000 Armenians in Syria sided with President Assad, and are often targeted as a result. So far, the programme has offered a wide range of emergency assistance and integration projects and has reached more than 460 families and 800 children. But as a national lockdown took hold, it was even difficult to pay rent on their apartment on the outskirts of the capital, Yerevan. Education support including purchasing of stationery, school books and sports clothing. Agamyan said she’s not sure what to do next.   |  Español