CSO Meter 2021

The forty-four day war in Artsakh (also known as Nagorno-Karabakh) and its consequences left a considerable impact on the overall political, social, and economic situation in Armenia, negatively affecting the civil society organisation (CSO) environment. The state of martial law announced on the first day of the military actions, 27 September 2020, limited freedom of assembly and freedom of expression, while the devastating consequences of the war, bringing about a humanitarian and social crisis, impacted the activities of CSOs in Armenia. Many organisations changed their priorities, raising funds for addressing urgent humanitarian needs, developing new services, and reaching out to new groups of beneficiaries. CSO collaboration with the national and local governments intensified around the provision of assistance to women and children displaced from Artsakh, including food, shelter, educational and healthcare assistance. Further CSO initiatives were directed to allocate assistance to Artsakh families who lost their homes and to the families of killed, wounded and missing soldiers. New initiatives were formed aimed at mobilising citizens around finding solutions to the political and social crisis in the country.