Case Study: Nagorno-Karabakh Activation

Photo: Kindergarten transformed into a displaced center in Goris, Armenia, October 2020, People in Need.

In late September 2020, Azerbaijani and Armenian forces clashed in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, a contested region of Azerbaijan controlled by an ethnic Armenian administration since the 1990s. Shelling and rocket fire hit cities, populations, and civilian infrastructure in the region and also parts of Azerbaijan. More than 50 people were reportedly killed, hundreds more were wounded, and hundreds of homes were destroyed or damaged.

On 10 October 2020, the H2H Network activated its fund in response to the crisis with a call for proposals to focus on collecting information on the needs of displaced people, with a view to informing and strengthening the wider humanitarian response. The fund provided GBP 65,000 to support two member agencies who specialize in needs assessment, IMPACT Initiatives and ACAPS. Projects ran from November to December 2020.

REACH/ Impact Initiatives' project aimed to provide humanitarian organizations with a better understanding of the humanitarian needs of displaced populations and host communities in Armenia. ACAPS' project aimed to support the assessment and analysis of needs resulting from the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Together, the H2H Network-funded assessment specialists provided critical information to humanitarian decision-makers, designed to inform planning and coordination.

This case study explores how the H2H Fund activation for Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020 contributed to an improved humanitarian response. With a focus on ‘how’, it examines a chain of ‘humanitarian value’ beginning with H2H Fund inputs, through to the products and services delivered by grantees, and on to key users and any discernible contributions made to responses. The study was conducted in March 2021 for the H2H Network by Itad MEAL advisers. Read more >