YEREVAN. - The regional program “Reduction of disaster risks for raising the stability of communities and institutions in South Caucasus” kicked off in Yerevan Tuesday.

The initiative funded by the European Commission in the framework of the DIPECHO IV Disaster Preparedness Program is implemented by the Armenian Red Cross Society, OXFAM in Armenia and OxYGen fund, UNICEF, UNDP and Save the Children.

The program, which will last till 2017, will be implemented in close cooperation with the Ministries of Emergency Situations, Education and Science, Territorial Administration and Development of Armenia, as well as the National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Director of the National Platform, Movses Poghosyan, noted: “Both in Shirak and Tavush provinces, our partners working in communities will contribute to raining the resistance of communities to disasters. They will help equip the communities with rescue means and response systems. The risk is rising much more, especially after the enlargement of communities. And the investments of our international partners stem from the state’s interests.

For his part, Hoa-Binh Adjemian, the Head of the Cooperation Section of the EU Delegation to Armenia, stressed that this project is of great importance for the EU.

In his words, EU is always ready to support Armenia in raising the awareness and preparedness to possible disasters.