Covid-19 pandemic and the war with Azerbaijan exacerbated Armenia’s economic hardships - Amnesty International
YEREVAN, March 29, /ARKA/. The Covid-19 pandemic and the aftermath of the 2020 conflict (with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) exacerbated Armenia’s economic hardships, according to Amnesty International Report 2021/22: The state of the world’s human rights.
According to the World Bank, Armenia suffered an 8%contraction in GDP, leading to the impoverishment of 70,000 people and driving720, 000 people into a lower welfare group.
The elderly and less well-off were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, facing greater obstacles in accessing healthcare due to the lockdown restrictions and repurposing of public healthcare resources.
Their ability to cover routine expenses – especially household services, utilities, food, medicines and medical services – also decreased significantly. Vaccination uptake remained low, with only23 % of the population receiving a full dose of the vaccine by December, amid a widespread anti-vax campaign. In response, in August, the government made Covid-19vaccination mandatory for all government workers and many private company employees.
According to the report, many of the approximately 91,000 people displaced at the height of the fighting in 2020 returned to Stepanakert and other parts of the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
Some 36,000 people remained displaced in Armenia and NagornoKarabakh, and 24,000 of them from areas controlled by Azerbaijan faced long-term displacement. Returnees faced difficulties in accessing livelihoods, education and healthcare.
The Amnesty International Report 2021/22 highlights the human rights situation in 154 countries in 2021. It presents Amnesty International’s documented concerns and recommendations for governments and others.-0-
