Today, it is critical for our people to survive, and emergency preparedness is a basic survival skill. SYUN for SYUNIK includes several projects, each aimed at improving this preparedness.

One of the most important projects is the First Aid Training program, conducted in collaboration with our partners at the VAL Charitable Foundation. Due to the critical situation in the region, we are currently focusing on Syunik. Since January 2022, groups from Goris, Khoznavar, Kornidzor, Qarashen, Togh, Aravus, and other towns and villages have been trained.

Another vital project is the logical continuation of the First Aid Training program: the establishment and operation of the Emergency Response Training Center (ERTC) in Goris. This center conducts regular first aid courses and serves as an emergency response hub in the region. Its effectiveness has been proven many times since its inception in September 2022. During military attacks from the Azerbaijani armed forces, the center has been a lifesaving hub. Our rapid response team organized round-the-clock duties, providing necessary first aid as quickly as possible. Following Azerbaijan’s military attack on September 19, 2023, more than 100,000 refugees were forced to flee from Artsakh to Armenia. Many families from Artsakh needed immediate critical support upon their arrival in Syunik. We at SYUN, collaborating with our partners at VAL, responded to this emergency by converting our Emergency Response Training Center in Goris into a refugee camp.

In the current critical situation, communication problems may arise in the border villages of Syunik. To establish secure communication with the Goris ERTC and other services, two radio repeaters were acquired. These repeaters, set up for secure communication and connected with an optical line, provide all the necessary communication in the region. Additionally, a mobile radio station has been installed on ERTC’s off-road vehicle, thanks to SYUN’s supporters.

We are also starting another project in support of Davidbek Games, a competition-festival organized by the non-governmental and non-profit organization of the same name. The festival brings together the youth of Armenia in majestic Syunik once a year for an exciting week full of games, hiking, music, dances, literature, and healthy competitions. The goals of the Davidbek Games are to increase the patriotic spirit, promote the physical training and development of tactical skills of the young generation.