UNICEF expresses concern over education and mental health of refugee children from Artsakh

A report published by UNICEF has highlighted concerns regarding access to education for children who have fled from Artsakh to Armenia. The latest U․N․ humanitarian situation report on Armenia noted that among more than 115,000 individuals displaced following the Azerbaijani forces’ recapture of Nagorno-Karabakh in the autumn of 2023, nearly 36,000 are children.

UNICEF has expressed worries about the deterioration in school enrollment and attendance rates, particularly regarding higher secondary education for refugee children and a decline in academic outcomes, such as the lack of minimum reading proficiency faced by some children at the end of elementary school.

The report also indicated that the majority of children require mental health services. Overall, approximately 76 percent of refugees currently reside in the capital city of Armenia or its surrounding areas, where they can “live in better conditions than in rural communities.”